


PredatorShift

by PromisedAngel



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Blood, Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Combination AU, Gaslighting, Gen, Gore, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mild Language, Off-Screen Suicide, Predatortale AU, Storyshift AU, Suspense, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-02 13:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 67,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17265383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PromisedAngel/pseuds/PromisedAngel
Summary: Combination of the Storyshift and Predatortale Aus. A skeleton caretaker, a human in a green hoodie, and a goat barely hanging onto life. Frisk must journey an underground filled with monsters starved for human blood. One warning hangs over their head, “If you see one glowing blue eye, then it’s already too late.”





	1. Caretaker of the Ruins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Predatortale is an AU by Foxy-Sierra on Deviantart/Tumblr and is an AU in which monsters can only survive by eating humans.  
> Storyshift is an AU by http://ut-storyshift.tumblr.com and is an AU in which many characters are jumbled around in pairs. This story uses the "First Path" variation.

The young human opened their eyes slowly. They found themselves unable to move. They needed a moment to fully take in what their red-brown eyes saw. They were in a large cavern with a hole at the top. They gasped in a small shock, surprised. They stood with a start as they began to examine themselves. They heard a rustle below them and found they had landed within a bed of golden flowers. Many of them were now crushed beneath the weight of their fall. They even saw some of the flowers’ seeds cling to their blue jeans. They examined themselves further. They found more seeds clung to the arms of their blue and pink striped sweater.  
Their eyes returned their gaze above, shocked, “How did I… survive?...”  
They hugged themselves and shook slightly. A few small tears stained their sweater as they slowly calmed themselves over a few moments. They took a deep breath before they began to walk into the cavern. They stepped nervously, despite having brown shoes to protect their feet. They kept their arms close to their chest as their voice wavered in the darkness, “Where am I?...”

They continued on their way, but it was only a few steps before they felt something tap them on the shoulder. They gasped and turned sharply. They saw a large root slowly burrow down into the ground, almost as though it guided their gaze downwards. Once their gaze turned down, the human saw a golden flower, much like the ones they landed on. It only took a second to see the differences. The flower’s petals were wilted and pushed back to reveal a face on the flower; one of apathy. The flower then seemed to sigh before speaking, “This is a surprise... you’re really dumb to have fallen down here…”  
The human stood there in disbelief, unsure whether to be scared or not. They were certainly confused at the talking flower. The flower noticed, “Yeah…. I’m a flower. I’m Boogie, I guess. What’s your name?”  
The human hesitated, only in confusion, “…Frisk?”  
“Frisk, huh? Well… I guess it doesn’t matter what your name is; you’re probably gonna die soon, after all.”  
Frisk’s eyes widened and stepped back in fear, but the flower’s expression did not change. Boogie spoke simply, “Not by me… I don’t care anymore to try and kill a human. But every other monster would.”  
Frisk relaxed a little as Boogie continued to explain, “See, monsters eat humans. That’s not some dumb story to get you to bed on time. They’re here, and they haven’t eaten in a long time. So, for you, it’s kill or be killed down here. Especially since you have to travel the whole underground to leave it."  
Frisk’s expression dropped to sadness, a few tears budded from their eyes. Boogie continued, “So… yeah… good luck…”  
Boogie disappeared into the ground. Frisk gasped and called out, “Wait! Please! Can you help me?!”  
Frisk turned around aimlessly in search of the flower. The flower did not return. Frisk stood there for a few moments in disbelief, only now did they fully process what had happened to them. If what the flower said was true, then the rumor about Mount Ebbot being a ‘demon mountain’ was true. They dropped to their knees and began to weep. They wept for about a solid minute before they had calmed themselves. They stood tall and took a deep breath before they spoke, “I guess… I don’t have a choice…”

They walked onwards into the cavern, wary of what may jump at them from the darkness. Said darkness soon became a low light as they approached a stairwell that led to an opening. Frisk entered the opening quickly but found it to be the only open entrance. On the other side of the small room they had entered was a door, closed with no knob. There was something next to it, however. They approached the door and saw there was a simple sheet of paper taped next to the door on its left. They raised an eyebrow as they read it allowed curiously, “Greetings! If you are reading this note, I, Papyrus, caretaker of these ruins, am unfortunately not by your side. Worry not, the puzzles ahead may be challenging, but I have full confidence you will succeed! Your first challenge is to solve the puzzle in this room to open this door. Since I am not there to inspire you, I will give you a hint. You will not need to press all the buttons, but you will need to flip the switch. Best of luck to you! -Papyrus."  
Frisk paused before they scanned the room. They quickly found buttons on the floor and a switch to their right on the wall. They examined the buttons first. They saw two of the buttons were laid inside different color stones than the remaining four. Frisk nodded before they stepped on those two buttons then flipped the switch. The buttons only reset. The door did not open. Frisk scratched their head, “Maybe… the reverse?”  
Frisk then stepped onto the four buttons in a reverse crescent shape from the bottom. They were quick to flip the switch once more. The door then quickly opened, fixed into place once open. Frisk beamed at their success before they continued onwards.

More puzzles appeared before Frisk, each accompanied by a note from this ‘Papyrus’. Frisk couldn't help but wonder who they were. Was it another human? Or just a monster Bookie warned them about? As they continued throughout the ruins, they had heard some low growls and skitters around them. Some far, some close. They still ran when they heard the noises nonetheless. It wasn’t until they had passed a large puzzle, a moated room full of spikes, that they heard the growls too close for comfort. They shook at the sound. Their eyes darted around them, desperate the find the source within the low light of the ruins. Soon after, another growl sounded from a different direction. Frisk let out a small gasp. Did the monster circle around? No. This growl was different from the first. The second one sounded once more before they heard something jump off the wall. Frisk panicked and ducked the oncoming monster; their right shoulder took the brunt of the fall. The heard the first growl coalesce to a voice, “NO! MY HUMAN!”  
Another monster jumped and attacked the currently attacking monster. The two of them hissed and focused on fighting each other. Frisk held their right shoulder as backed away from the two monsters slowly. The two monsters continued to fight and did not notice as Frisk slipped away between their snarls, bites, and clawing. Frisk moved slowly at first, but as the snarls faded, they moved faster until they exited the long hallway. They ducked into a small room to their left before they sat against the wall to catch their breath. A few small tears peeked from their eyes before they curled into a ball, still shaken from the encounter.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frisk had managed to calm themselves once more before they decided to press on; prompted by the sounds of impending footsteps. They had come across a few more puzzles, including falling into pits with leaves to cushion their fall. Each puzzle had a note or two accompany them, filled with hints and motivation from Papyrus. With those puzzles conquered, Frisk continued on their way. Soon, they began to hear noises. They stopped as they tried to pinpoint the noise. This one was different; a groan of struggle and despair. They heard a small cry, “Please…anyone…”  
Frisk gasped as they acted immediately. They dashed towards the voice ahead of them. Upon turning a few corners, they saw the source of the cries. A figure lay on the floor of the ruins, face first. They were crying. The figure dressed in long, purple robes and appeared to be bald in the low light of the ruins. Out of reach of the figure, Frisk could see a long, gnarled tree branch, whittled into a slimmer design. The figure stopped their cries as Frisk entered the hallway, “Is… is someone… there?”  
Frisk approached, “I’m here.”  
The figure gave a sigh of relief, but struggled to speak, “Oh, thank goodness… please… can you… help me up? I’ve fallen and… I don’t have the strength… to get up on my… own…”  
Frisk nodded before they went to the figure’s left side and slung their arm over. Once they grabbed the arm, Frisk paused and looked down at it. Their eyes widened at the sight; the hand was only bone. Frisk’s eyes drifted to the figure in fear; they realized the baldness they saw was because the figure was a skeleton. The skeleton had raised their head slightly, revealing their face. Tears had dripped from the skeleton’s eye sockets, some caught on their sharp teeth. The skeleton saw the fear in Frisk’s eyes and frowned, “You’re… a human…please, I don’t… want to hurt you. I am Papyrus… caretaker of these ruins…”  
Frisk paused, their fear subsided slightly, “You wrote those notes?”  
Papyrus smiled, “So you did… come from those puzzles.”  
He let out a light chuckle, “I’m glad… I was still able to… motivate you… from far away…”

Frisk decided to help Papyrus to his feet. The skeleton towered over Frisk, at least a foot or two taller than them. For a second, Frisk regretted their decision as the skeleton leaned onto them. They could now see that the front of their robe appeared to be painted over, enough to cover the chest. The paint was dry and stained deep into the robe; this had been done long ago. Papyrus smiled down on Frisk weakly, “Thank you, human… what is your name?”  
Frisk answered simply, “Frisk…”  
Papyrus continued, “A nice name… now, could you… help me… get my cane?”  
Frisk nodded and the two slowly made their way towards the gnarled branch. Papyrus leaned down and picked it up. He stood away from Frisk and began to lean on the branch with a content smile, “There.”  
He turned back to Frisk, “Thank you… Frisk.”  
Frisk stood there nervously, unsure whether they would have to run from the skeleton. They kept their arms close, their knees bent, and their leg spread to flee at a moment’s notice. Papyrus calmly returned to the human’s side, Frisk shook slightly at this. Papyrus frowned, “Please, Frisk… I don’t want to hurt you.”  
He smiled, “In fact… I’d like to help you… help keep you… safe…”  
Frisk relaxed and curled in more, “I just want to go home…”  
“Then we’ll go home… follow me… closely. I will guide you… through the rest… of the puzzles.”  
Frisk hesitated at first but soon followed Papyrus closely throughout the ruins.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Papyrus weakly cheered Frisk on, only giving them hints and mountains of motivation, as the two continued into the ruins. Few monsters seemed to tread the path the two walked, but Papyrus quickly hid Frisk before the monsters could see them. It wasn’t long until the two arrived at a little house built into the wall. A tree was in front of the home; strong but held no leaves. Papyrus smiled, “We’re here, Frisk.”  
Frisk marveled at the abode as Papyrus led them inside. It was a comfortable home; the red-tinted walls and floors appeared tidy. Papyrus slowly made his way to the left, “Please… make yourself at home. I… I need to sit down…”  
Papyrus walked into a living room, once more nearly all was red, white, or pink. There was a large table with only two chairs, each on a different side. By an unlit fireplace was a large bookshelf, filled to the brim with books in a wide array of wear. On the other side of the fireplace was a large chair, which Papyrus settled into with a long, contented sigh. He placed his cane his left side, near the fireplace. He frowned, “I’m sorry… I should be a good host and… give you something…. Are you hungry? If you need to rest… I have a spare bedroom…”  
Frisk shook their head, “I’m okay. You rest.”

Papyrus nodded before he leaned back in his chair; he spoke after a few moments, “Then we can… sit here and chat…”  
Frisk nodded before they sat at the table and turned their chair towards Papyrus. Papyrus leaned towards Frisk slightly before he spoke, “Frisk… I have to ask… how did you get down here?”  
Frisk frowned with worry, “I fell. It was an accident…”  
Papyrus mirrored Frisk’s worry, “I see… you’re not the first to… to fall down here… but… you are the first in… a long time…”  
Frisk closed in on themselves slightly, “It is… really dangerous down here?”  
Papyrus nodded solemnly, “Yes… Many monsters will try and…. Well… they will try to… eat you.”  
Frisk frowned, “I thought it was just some old story…”  
“It is… but it is… also true.”  
Frisk hesitated, “Does that mean… you mi-“  
Papyrus stood in an instance, “No!”  
Papyrus crumpled back into his chair with a groan. Frisk stood from their chair. They only took one step before Papyrus held up a hand and used the other to cradle his face, “I’m alright… I just need to be… careful…I don’t have as much… energy as I… used to…”  
The two of them both relaxed in their chairs before Papyrus continued, “I don’t want to hurt you… I don’t want to eat you… I only… want you to be safe…”  
Frisk nodded, “Thank you.”  
Papyrus gave a weak smile, his eye sockets began to flutter, “Of course… Frisk…”

Frisk raised an eyebrow, “Are you alright?”  
Papyrus let out a chuckle, “Yes… I think I just… need some rest…”  
Papyrus grabbed his cane and slowly stood, “Maybe… we both could take a nap? You must be exhausted after… coming all this way.”  
Frisk nodded, “Yeah…”  
Papyrus began to walk towards the door, “Come, I’ll tuck you in.”

Frisk followed Papyrus past the now closed door to find a hallway with three rooms. Papyrus entered the first one, “Please… use this one…”  
Inside was a room filled with shades of purple, much like the purple painted onto Papyrus’s robe. The room was mildly unkempt, small bits of dust on the lampshades and the bookshelf. Papyrus sighed, “I was going to clean… this room today… I apologize…”  
Frisk shook their head, “It’s okay, maybe I could help after we nap?”  
Papyrus smiled, “That would be… nice…”  
Papyrus carefully tossed the sheets of the bed, giving room for Frisk to climb in bed, “Here… and… your shoes.”  
Frisk took off their shoes, leaving their socks. Papyrus gently tucked Frisk into bed, “There… have a good nap…”  
Frisk’s eyes fluttered before they closed, “Thanks… dad…”  
Papyrus’s eyes widened, he covered his mouth, and a tear escaped his eyes. Frisk’s eyes opened in shock, “I-I’m sorry! I didn-“  
Papyrus raised a hand, “It… it’s alright… Frisk… I just… I don’t… deserve to be… called that…”  
Papyrus quickly turned towards the door and walked out, not turning back to Frisk as his finger went to the light switch, “Have a good nap… Frisk.”

Papyrus shut off the lights and slowly closed the door, leaving Frisk to sleep. Papyrus turned down the hallway and entered the next room, one of blue colors, and sat at a desk. He sighed deeply before tears began to flow once more. For a few moments, he was silent in thought, before he broke into quiet sobs and fell asleep at the desk.


	2. Home Life

Frisk awoke slowly to a pleasant, but strange smell waft into their room. Frisk paused and realized what they had experienced thus far was not a dream. They slowly got out of bed to see their shoes were put by the door, ready for them to slip on. Frisk decided to slip their shoes on. They slowly opened the door to their room and made their way towards the living room. They began to hear clatters and hums come from the kitchen just through the living room. They peeked inside the kitchen to see Papyrus removing something from the oven. Papyrus noticed Frisk immediately and smiled, his voice held more energy than before, “Hello there, Frisk!”  
Frisk fully walked into the kitchen, they now recognized the smell as baked pasta and a pie crust, “What are you making?”  
Papyrus set the round pan on the counter before he closed the oven, “Before we clean, I thought we could share a meal together. So I made something I hope you enjoy! My tomato alfredo piegetti!”  
Frisk raised an eyebrow as they approached to examine Papyrus’s concoction, “Tomato alfredo… piegetti?”  
On the counter sat a baked pasta dish that sat within a piecrust, still piping hot from the oven. The sauce appeared to be a mixed sauce of both marinara and alfredo sauce. The two mixed together to make a pink sauce. Frisk still found the scent of the sauce appetizing. Their stomach rumbled lightly. Frisk blushed and stepped back, knowing Papyrus could easily hear the noise. Papyrus chuckled lightly, “It sounds like we have perfect timing. It will need a few minutes to cool, so why don’t we set the table?”  
He pointed to a nearby cabinet, “There should be some silverware in that cabinet.”

Frisk nodded before they opened the nearby cabinet. They found the forks and knives quickly on a shelf. They were inside a little open box with multiple separators, sections for each kind of silverware. They quickly grabbed two knives and two forks and set the table as Papyrus carefully carried the piegetti to the table. Papyrus also brought a small, silver, jar-like container. Frisk raised a brow, “What’s that?”  
Papyrus gave a genuine smile, “It’s my medicine. I need it to give me the energy to explore the ruins.”  
He opened the container, opening with a simple pop of the lid, “But today, I will need it to help clean this house.”  
Frisk looked around to see the room around them was almost impeccably clean, “This room looks clean.”  
Papyrus took out three pills from the container, “Thank you, Frisk! I just cleaned this room a few days ago!”  
He quickly popped the pills into his mouth before he spoke again, “Your room and the hallway are next to be cleaned. It would be irresponsible of me to have you do all that by yourself!”  
Papyrus began to cut into the piegetti. “Now, first we must eat!”  
Papyrus scooped out two slices of the piegetti before he put them on two separate plates. He handed one to Frisk, “Be careful, fresh out of the oven, and all!”

Frisk nodded before they scooped a small amount of the spaghetti in the crust onto their fork. They blew on it for a moment before they ate it. Frisk smiled, the sauce was creamy from the alfredo but still held some of the slight sweetness of marinara. Papyrus noticed Frisk’s smile, “I’m so glad you like it!”  
Frisk let out a small giggle, “I didn’t think you could mix those two sauces.”  
Papyrus’s eyes lit with passion and he nearly slammed his hands on the table, “You can make any sauce you can dream of- no! You can make any dish you want!”  
His energy and demeanor seemed to slip in a moment, “You just… have to… have the courage…to…”  
He frowned deeply for a moment before he seemed to shake the thought away. Frisk spoke in worry, “Papyrus… are you okay?”  
Papyrus gave a small smile, “Yes, I am now… I’m sorry, it was just…”  
He paused with a sigh, “Just… something someone I… used to know… said.”  
Frisk put their fork down before they spoke, “Who?”  
Papyrus lightly clenched his jaw for a moment and gave himself a light hug, “A human…”  
He relaxed, “Frisk… I… I’m sorry, I- I really don’t want to talk about it.”  
Frisk returned to their meal, “…Okay…”  
Papyrus gave a light smile, “Please, don’t worry about it. I probably will feel more at ease to tell you that story later. We have all the time in the world here.”  
Frisk spoke calmly, “Until I go home.”  
Papyrus paused, his light smile descended in parallel to their fork. It only held for a second before he chuckled lightly, “But, Frisk, you are home.”  
Frisk raised an eyebrow, “No, I’m not…”

Papyrus gave another nervous laugh, “But… you…”  
He stood, his tone turned serious, “Please, you must understand; it’s far too dangerous to leave here.”  
Frisk slowly reeled back in their seat as Papyrus approached. Papyrus kneeled down beside the seat, “If you leave here, he-“  
Papyrus cut himself off, at the same time, Frisk relaxed slightly in their seat. Papyrus was quick to continue, “They… any monster in the underground will hunt you down and eat you.”  
Papyrus turned his gaze towards the silver container, “There is some medicine to curb the hunger, but… there’s not enough for everyone.”  
He turned his gaze back to Frisk, his eyes matched his begging, “Please, for your own safety… please stay.”  
Frisk turned their gaze, guilt burned into their expression. After a moment, they responded quietly, “Okay…”  
Papyrus stood and smiled, “Thank you, Frisk. I promise I will do all I can to provide for you here!”  
He then sat down at his seat and beamed, “Now, let us finish eating, and then we can start cleaning!”  
Frisk gave a nod, their expression unsure. They decided to silently mull things over as the two continued their meal in silence.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cleaning was slow but sure. Papyrus only asked Frisk to sweep the hallway floor after the two had moved the large, fire-pattern outlined rug to one side of the hallway. Meanwhile, Papyrus cleaned Frisk’s room of any dust from non-use. About a fourth of the way through, Papyrus heard a knocking noise. He blinked, “Oh, it is about time, isn’t it?...”  
Papyrus exited the room and saw Frisk’s raised eyebrow. Papyrus smiled, “Don’t worry, Frisk; it’s only my new batch of medicine. Why don’t you take a small break while I get it?”  
He frowned and loosely held his fingers, “But… please don’t follow me, alright?”  
Frisk put the broom against the wall and nodded, “Okay.”  
They then walked into the living room, Papyrus spoke as he retrieved his cane, “You can relax in my chair if you would like.”

Frisk silently climbed into Papyrus’s chair as Papyrus made his way down the stairs. He followed the one long hallway until he arrived at a large stone door. The source of the knock. Papyrus approached the door and spoke, “Hello, again.”  
A deep voice replied, “I… have some bad news.”  
Papyrus frowned as he relaxed against the door, his tone downcast, “Oh no… what happened?”  
The voice spoke in a matter of fact, “I don’t have more of your medicine.”  
Papyrus smiled and gave a small laugh, “Please, don’t worry yourself over it. You’re the one who insists I take this medicine.”  
The voice gives a chuckle and a snide remark, “You say that as though it does not help you.”  
Papyrus continued calmly, “On the contrary, I can go to the deepest puzzles in Home thanks to these pills.”

Papyrus hesitated to speak, his tone downcast, “How… is he?”  
The voice spoke plainly, “The same.”  
Papyrus lowered his head, “I see…”  
“I know you want him to change, but this seems hopeless. I still think the best-“  
Papyrus raised his voice, “No!”  
The voice went silent for a few moments before it chuckled, “…Yes, you did ask me to stop discussing it.”  
Papyrus sighed, “I just wish… things didn’t have to be like this.”  
“Once the barrier is destroyed, it will all get better.”  
“But… the humans-“  
“Are nothing more than food. They have sentience and intelligence, yes, but the fact remains they are our food.”  
Papyrus curled in onto himself, “…Yes… but…”  
The voice sighed, “I can see I am wasting my time. Despite what happened, it is still our nature.”  
Papyrus uncurled, his voice became defiant, “But that’s why we have the medicine now, right?”  
“…Yes.”  
Papyrus smiled, “See? We don’t have to eat humans!”  
“That does not change the reality we face. Our kind is trapped here, and many are desperate.”  
“I know you said there’s only so much of the medicine… but… can’t-“  
“No, it’s impossible to increase production. However… the last human that we need will fall any day.”  
Papyrus’s gaze went to the long hallway, his expression solemn, but kept his voice even, “How can… you be so sure?”  
“…A hunch.”  
Papyrus raised a brow, “You never listen to hunches.”  
“Not unless they are strong.”

The voice strained slightly, as though stretching, “I should be heading back. I will try to get your new batch of medicine to you within a few days. I hope that next time we don’t have to repeat what we have already said many times.”  
Papyrus stood tall and smiled, “Until next time!”  
Papyrus heard a noise outside before he relaxed and sighed, “I just hope I have enough…”

Papyrus made the trip back to his home. He found Frisk relaxing with a book in his chair. Papyrus smiled, “Which book did you choose?”  
Frisk perked up and blushed at first but relaxed, “I saw this… storybook.”  
Papyrus noticed the book was very worn with a colorful cover. He approached, “Peek-a-boo with Fluffy Bunny? My favorite, but I thought you would be too old for a book like that.”  
Frisk blushed, “I guess I am.”  
Papyrus showed some worry, “Oh, no! I didn’t mean it like that! I was just surprised.”  
Papyrus calmed himself, “Perhaps I could read it to you tonight?”  
Frisk closed the book and smiled, “Sure.”

Papyrus nodded with a determined smile, “Now, let us finish cleaning up.”  
Frisk stood from the chair but paused as they fully noticed Papyrus. They raised a brow, “Where’s your medicine?”  
Papyrus sighed, “They… couldn’t get it for me today.”  
He continued calmly, “But, don’t worry! I just need to take smaller doses for a few days. In fact, I should see how much I have left now!”  
Papyrus left the living room and entered the kitchen. The container was on the counter, near the wall. Papyrus opened the container and gave a light gasp at what he saw. No pills were left. His eyes widened in fear as he put the container down. He gave a slow sigh to calm himself and close the container. He put a smile on his face and entered the living room as Frisk was putting their book back on the shelf. Papyrus spoke, “I have plenty… I should be fine. Now, we should be able to finish the cleaning very quickly, and the two of us will relax. How does that sound?”  
Frisk smiled, “That does sound nice.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was slow at first, but Frisk noticed over the course of the evening and the next morning that Papyrus lost more and more energy. It wasn’t until the afternoon of the third day that Frisk knew something was very wrong. Papyrus slowly made his way to his chair, “I… I need to sit… down…”  
Frisk went to his side and spoke in worry, “Are you okay.”  
Papyrus held his head, “I’ll be… fine…”  
Frisk stood, “Do you need your medicine? I’ll go get it!”  
Papyrus weakly tried to stop Frisk, “Frisk…”  
Frisk rushed into the kitchen, they caused a small wind to blow past Papyrus’s face as they ran past. Papyrus paused, his face in shock. The white dots of his eyes slowly turned orange and burned brightly. He held his head tightly and shook, “N-No…”  
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Frisk quickly found the medicine container and opened it. They gasped and saw no medication inside. What truly shocked them was the scent that lingered inside the container. The distinct smell of blood. Frisk then heard Papyrus’s ‘no’ and rushed back into the living room, they spoke in some panic, “There’s no medicine…”  
Papyrus grunted and struggled through their words, “I... ran out… yesterday… morning…. I… Frisk…. I can’t… hold... on…”  
Frisk went to Papyrus’s side, “There has to be something.”  
Frisk then began to hear strange noises; sounds of cracks and breaks. Papyrus grunted and curled into their lap, some parts of their form seemed to slowly grow and change. Bits of bone began to protrude from Papyrus's back, neck, shoulder blades, cheeks, and the back of his head. At the top of his head, two horns formed pointed backward. The orange glow of his eyes became more intense, and his mouth extended forward with jagged teeth lining it. Tears peeked from Papyrus’s covered eyes as he struggled to speak, “Frisk… please… R… U…N.”

Frisk backed away from Papyrus as he transformed, their eyes and mouth widened in pure terror. When prompted, they no longer stood frozen in fear. They ran as fast as their legs could take them. They flew down the flight of stairs just before they heard a bestial roar echo from above. They heard the loud crashes of footsteps behind them, fast approaching. Frisk decided to look back and saw Papyrus in the distance, chasing after them on all fours. Frisk screamed as they turned forward to run again, adrenaline fueling their flight. They heard Papyrus’s footsteps and growls close the gap between them. They focused on finding a way to escape, but there was only one path to this long hallway. Even as the two ducked around cornered, Frisk knew Papyrus was just behind them.

Something new emerged at the end of the hallway; a closed door. Frisk’s eyes lit up, their desperation answered. However, mere feet from the door, Papyrus leaped and tackled Frisk to the floor. Frisk screamed before they were forced to fall on their side. They were pinned on the ground by their chest; long, skeletal claws easily pinned their body to the floor. Papyrus arched his neck back; his maw opened wide and he kept his burning eyes locked onto Frisk. Tears streamed from Frisk’s eyes, they called out, “Papyrus!”  
Papyrus hesitated upon Frisk’s call. His maw closed slightly, though a low growl still emanated from it. Frisk felt more pressure on their chest and winced. They looked down to see Papyrus’s hands were pressed into their chest. The claws nearly pierced their skin. Frisk continued to wince, but grasped Papyrus’s hands as they cried out, “Papyrus! Please! Stop!”  
Papyrus’s voice echoed from his maw, “F… R… i… sk…”  
Frisk hugged Papyrus’s hands and sobbed, “Please…”

Papyrus shook for a few moments before he released Frisk and curled onto his knees next to Frisk. His form slowly returned to normal as he sobbed deeply. Halfway through, he began to speak through his sobs, “No… no no no no no… I…”  
Frisk, though still shaken, approached Papyrus. They touched Papyrus’s shoulder, but Papyrus let out a gasp, “Frisk?”  
Frisk backed away immediately, still on their knees. Papyrus locked eyes with Frisk, now fully returned to normal. Papyrus continued his sobs, “I… I’m sorry. I never… wanted this to happen… I only wanted to protect you, but now… I can’t protect you from myself….”  
Papyrus sniffled, “There’s… no other choice… you have to leave the underground.”

His voice and expression became firmer, despite the tears still streaming down his face. He looked Frisk in the eyes as he spoke, “Frisk, you must listen to me carefully. Beyond these doors is the rest of the underground. You must travel through it in order to reach the barrier. But… any monster you come across will try to kill and devour you. No matter what happens, never let your guard down, not even while you rest.”  
His gaze turned downcast, “I’m… sure you can understand why I can’t go with you… I don’t want this to happen again…”  
He shook his head, his gaze became determined, “But… I can give you a warning.”  
He pointed to his left eye, “If you see one glowing blue eye… then… it’s already too late…”  
Frisk’s eyes widened at the warning, unsure how to respond. Papyrus closed his eyes, waved an arm towards the door, and cried, “Now, go!”  
His voice quieted as Frisk stood, “And… don’t turn back…”

Frisk approached the door. Their arm hesitated to open the door, only for a second. They took a deep breath before they entered through the door and closed it behind them. Papyrus gave a sorrowful smile before he looked to the floor, “I’m sorry… you wasted your time on me… after all…”  
Papyrus dug a claw into the floor of the hallway and slowly carved out four words. He looked at them and sobbed once more for a few moments before he relaxed against the wall, far from the words he carved. A long bone materialized in his hands, one end sharp. He closed his eyes and spoke, “I’m sorry… Gaster… Sans…”


	3. Forceful Ally

Frisk stepped through the door cautiously. Their eyes widen slightly at the sight of snow. They took a step outside the door and found it crunch beneath their feet. This snow had been here for a while. They closed the door behind them, but frowned; they saw no obvious way to open the door from this side. There was no turning back. They sighed and gave a quiet goodbye to Papyrus before they began to walk into the snow-covered, underground forest. Only pine trees had some green to them, the others had lost their leaves. The forest was quiet, Frisk still continued on. Their eyes wandered slowly, as did their feet, nervous to proceed through this place. They soon lost sight of the door. Then, they heard something snap.  
Frisk quickly turned their head behind them, their body ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They raised a brow curiously; a stick they had previously stepped over had now been split in two. Frisk decided the best thing to do was move on. Their pace had quickened to a power walk from seeing the stick had snapped. Their eyes moved faster. A sudden feeling fell over Frisk; the feeling of being watched. Dread washed over them before they quickened their pace more to a sprint, then a run. They soon saw a bridge come into sight with large pillars on each side. The bridge and pillars were covered with claw marks of various depth and size, yet the bridge still seemed able to hold. As the approached the bridge they stopped, they felt something was just behind them. Too late to run, too late to hide. Frisk closed their eyes and shook as they heard a voice speak, “Human. If you wish to live, turn around and listen to me carefully.”  
Frisk hesitated to turn around, but slowly did so, scared of what they would see. Would this be the blue-eyed monster Papyrus warned them of? Or was it an unknown threat?

The first thing Frisk noticed of this new being was their size; just taller than them. Next was their lightweight, green coat. The coat was not new, there were visible traces of wear and bits of dust scattered on it and the figure’s black pants. The figure’s face was obscured by the coat’s simple hood, but Frisk could still see a pair of piercing, crimson eyes. The figure paused before it spoke in an amused tone, “Well, this is unexpected. I never imagined a mirror to fall down here.”  
Frisk raised a brow in confusion and relaxed slightly at the figure’s words. The figure then removed their hands from their pockets to reveal yellow fingerless gloves. Their hands moved to their hood and revealed their face. Frisk’s eyes widened at the sight. The figure was human. They appeared to be about a year older than them with a similar face. Instead of Frisk’s slightly puffed cheeks, this figure’s cheeks were thinner, almost sunken. Their skin was pale, and they had many small scars in various places. Their chocolate brown hair hung just above their shoulders, straight save for some broken split ends along with straightened full fringe bangs covering their forehead. The figure smirked for a moment before they extended their arm towards Frisk. They gave a serious look, matched by an equally serious tone, “Greetings, mirror, I am Chara Dreemurr. If you want to live, you will come with me. Now.”  
Frisk hesitated, unsure, “But-“  
Chara frowned as they cut Frisk off, “There is no time for this. We must move before they-“  
A long howl echoed in the distance, Chara’s stance became low and one hand traveled to their lower back. Their eyes narrowed and they gritted their teeth, “Damnit, they have already caught your scent.”  
Frisk began to shake, “They?”  
Chara quickly turned their gaze back to Frisk, “The former Royal Guard, they hold onto nothing but instinct-”  
A group of howls responded to the first. Chara forcefully grabbed Frisk’s hand, “We must leave. Now!”  
Chara began to run and keep hold of Frisk’s hand, forcing Frisk to run along with Chara. Frisk let out a small cry, “W-wait!”  
Chara didn’t look back at Frisk as the two ran over the bridge, “There is no time to wait. If you wish to live, you will stay close to me and do as I say. Do otherwise if you wish to be torn apart and devoured.”  
Frisk frowned and spoke quietly, “Okay… I’ll do what you say…”  
Chara’s tone warmed slightly, “Good. Now, when the dogs attack, stay still and stay low. Be ready to move at a moment’s notice.”  
Frisk frowned more heavily, their tone more downcast, “Okay.”

Chara’s eyes shifted as the two continued to run through the snow-coated forest. A low growl sounded to their left just beyond the tree line. Chara widened their eyes and stopped dead in their tracks, “Stop!”  
Frisk stopped looked around in fear just before a monster jumped from the tree line. The monster was dog-like with gray, matted fur. Its eyes were bloodshot and saliva flowed from its fangs in anticipation. Chara gave the creature a crazed smirk and their eyes lit up, as though a crimson fire lit in their eyes. A large, see-through, red knife materialized above the dog monster and quickly plunged through the monster’s back. The monster yelped as the knife passed through its chest. The monster collapsed into the snow in front of Frisk and Chara before it relaxed and dispersed into dust. Chara’s eyes returned to normal and they calmed slightly, “Good. It was only the scout.”  
Chara turned to Frisk with a serious gaze, “Cover your clothes with the dust.”  
Frisk’s eyes widened, “Wh-what?! But that was jus-“  
Chara nearly growled at them, their tone lowered, “I told you to do as I say.”  
Chara grabbed Frisk’s sweater before they tossed Frisk into the pile of dust. The dust became a small cloud around Frisk, which made them cough heavily before the dust settled around them. The dust had settled onto their hair and clothes, though much of it that touched the skin fell off. Frisk stood and motioned to wipe the dust off their clothes. Chara quickly grabbed one of Frisk’s arms, “No. Keep it on. It will hide most of your scent.”  
Frisk began to shed a few tears, “But-“  
Chara yanked Frisk forward sharply, “Stop crying. It will wipe the dust away. You can worry about questions when you are safe.”  
Chara began to move again with Frisk in tow, “We must keep moving.”  
Frisk sniffled and spoke with solemn, “Just… one question?”  
Chara huffed, “Fine. One.”  
“Where are we going?”  
“Someplace safe.”  
“But where-“  
“That was your one question. No more. Stay quiet and listen to me.”

Frisk turned their head downwards as the two of them continued on through the forest. Out of the corner of their eye, Frisk noticed strange things along the path. Small traces of rope and plywood in various spots in the snow or trees. It was then that the two heard nearby snarls. Chara immediately pulled Frisk to the side of a tree and used their free hand to grasp at a rope in the snow. Frisk wanted to say something but saw two dog monsters in the distance. The two dogs noticed Frisk and Chara and howled. They snarled before they ran towards Chara and Frisk. Frisk cowered, unable to remove themselves from Chara’s grasp. Once dogs were close, Chara pulled on the rope swiftly. In an instance, spikes rose from the snow under the dogs. The two yelped as they were impaled and limped onto the spikes. They turned to dust piles on the spikes. Chara smirked as they pulled the rope again; the spikes retracted into the snow. Chara turned towards Frisk, “Stay here.”  
Chara released their death grip on Frisk’s arm and reached into their coat and pulled out a plastic bag. Chara scooped as much dust as they could into the bag before they closed it and placed it back in their coat. They turned back towards Frisk, “Let us go. Can you keep up?”  
Frisk gave a quick whine, unsure, “Um… maybe?”  
Chara huffed and grabbed Frisk’s arm, “Keep up. Hopefully, we will not have to stop running.” 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Chara led Frisk through the snow-covered forest for what seemed like hours. Chara had more traps for the monsters in the snow. The two also ducked behind trees and were not spotted. The two eventually made it to a town; it was only then that Chara let go of Frisk’s arm. The scent of dust was heavy there. Many of the buildings were boarded up and clearly abandoned. The doors laid open to a few not ripped off their hinges. Chara spoke dryly, “Welcome to what little remains of Snowdin.”  
Frisk frowned, “This used to be a monster town?”  
Chara nodded, “The dogs do not come here. It smells too much of dust. They retreated to caves in the forest.”  
Chara gave a dark chuckle and a smirk, “Fitting for mindless beasts, wouldn’t you agree?”  
Frisk hugged themselves and said nothing. Chara returned to a neutral face and tone, “We are almost there, you may relax now.”  
Frisk hugged themselves tighter, “So… I can ask questions now?”  
“Yes.”  
“What…. Happened?”  
“What happens when anyone is unable to find food? They find ways to feed themselves, or they curl up and perish. Humans are what monsters eat. With monsters trapped here within Mount Ebbot, some starved and some found... other ways.”  
Chara gave a smirk towards Frisk, “But now, with you here, the potential supply has doubled.”  
“I… I don’t want to get eaten…”  
Chara returned their gaze forwards, “Then do as I say and you will survive until the end.”  
Frisk nodded silently. They noticed they had come across a home that looked far more together than the others. It still had its windows and door boarded up, but it was still all together. Chara approached the boarded-up door, “We will rest here until the dogs fall asleep.”  
Chara seemed to reach behind one of the more loose-looking planks and pull a latch. The boards on the door suddenly shifted forwards as though it was a door. Chara paused and turned towards Frisk, “Oh, our company won’t bite.”  
Frisk raised a brow, “Company?”  
Chara smirked as they opened the door, “Come inside and see.”

Frisk entered in the doorway and saw it was a cozy home inside. The first room was a large living room with carpeting of tan and brown waved lines. To Frisk’s right was a table with golden flowers and numerous bags of dust. To Frisk’s left was a large green couch in good condition with a little table in front of it. Frisk noticed the room in front of them was very dark, but they could still see it had hard flooring of off gold and brown. Chara quickly closed the door and latched it shut before they went to the table and put the bag they had in their coat onto the table with the other bags. They eyed Frisk, “Go ahead and sit down. I will go check on our company.”  
Chara climbed the stairs on the far side of the room and knocked on the first door upstairs, “Rei? Are you asleep? I have returned.”  
Frisk looked around the sparse room as Chara went upstairs. They decided to head into the dark room, which Frisk could only guess was a kitchen. As they stepped on the linoleum floor, they heard a moan echo in the kitchen, “Chara?”  
Frisk squinted their eyes until a new figure came into view. Their eyes widened at the figure down on the floor, twinges of terror in their eyes. The figure appeared to be around their age, but it was not human, despite its humanoid shape. The figure was covered in white fur, the only different color being its brilliant green eyes with thick, black bags under them. Its ears were long and floppy, along with disheveled, much like the rest of its fur. It had a long snout in a different shape from the dogs but held sharp teeth all the same. The figure wore dark blue pajamas with rainbow stars. They dragged along the floor until they noticed Frisk. They squinted their eyes and struggled to speak, “You’re not… Chara…”  
Frisk remembered Chara mentioned company, was this it? Frisk relaxed slightly but spoke in worry, “Are you alright?”  
The monster chuckled weakly, “No… I fell from the…. Stepladder when I tried… to change a light bulb…”  
Frisk stepped forward, “Here, let me help you up!”

The two heard mad footsteps dash down the stairs to the kitchen. They saw Chara rush into the kitchen and speak in worry, “Asriel!”  
Chara rushed to the monster’s side to help them up. Chara glared at Frisk as the two helped the monster, Asriel, up. Asriel smiled, “Chara… you didn’t say we’d have… company soon.”  
Chara gave Asriel a genuine smile, “I found them quite suddenly while I was fixing some traps.”  
Asriel frowned, “Oh… did you run into the dogs again?”  
“Yes.” Chara turned their gaze towards Frisk, “To the couch.”  
Frisk nodded before Chara and Frisk helped Asriel sit on the couch. Asriel hit the couch with a loud sigh of relief, “Thanks, Chara…”  
Chara and Frisk stood on either size of Asriel, but Chara stepped closer to Asriel as he spoke. Asriel scratched his head while he raised an eyebrow to Frisk, “What’s… your name?”  
Frisk answered simply, “Frisk.”  
Asriel smiled, “That’s a cool name… I’m Asriel… Asriel Dreemurr.”  
Chara eyed Asriel, “What were you doing on the floor?”  
Asriel gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his head, “Hehe… the lightbulb burned out… and I was trying to fix it.”  
Chara narrowed their eyes, “Did you take your medicine like I asked you to?”  
Asriel avoided Chara’s gaze and continued their nervous chuckle, “Well… I…”  
Chara quickly strutted into the kitchen as they spoke firmly, “Asriel, you cannot skip a dosage.”  
Asriel frowned, “But… it’s…”  
Asriel hesitated to speak as he saw Frisk in his gaze. He frowned further and twiddled with his fingers. Chara reached into a cabinet and took out a familiar item. A silver container. Frisk noticed the container as Chara returned to the living room and placed the container on the small table. Asriel avoided looking at the container as Chara opened it. Chara then noticed Frisk’s small shock and raised a brow, “What is it-”  
Chara then smirked, “You know what this is, don’t you?”  
Frisk nodded, “Yeah… A monster named Papyrus had the same container…”  
Chara reached into the container and pulled out the same medicine Papyrus had pulled out, “Then do you know what this is?”  
Frisk hesitated, “It’s… suppose to be medicine… right?”  
Chara let out a dry chuckle, “I suppose you could call it that… It is a substitute.”  
“Substitute? But… for what?”  
“What do you think?”  
Frisk hugged themselves, “Humans?...”  
Chara pulled out another pill, “Precisely.”  
Frisk relaxed and raised a brow, “But then… why does it smell like blood?”  
“Because it is made with blood.”  
Chara placed the two pills on the table before they pulled back the left sleeve of their coat. Along the bend of their arm was a small bandage surrounded by small bruise marks. Chara spoke, “You are looking at the entire source of food in the underground.”


	4. Questions and Games

Frisk paused in shock. Asriel hugged himself and kept his gaze off of Chara. Chara soon lowered their sleeve with a frown. They grabbed the two substitute pills silently before they approached Asriel. They placed their free hand on Asriel’s shoulder, “You have to eat them.”  
Asriel continued to avoid Chara’s gaze, “But-“  
Chara’s voice became more gentle as their hand moved to Asriel’s ear, “Rei, you must keep up your strength. Please. I need you to take this… besides…”  
Chara turned Asriel’s head towards Frisk, “You would not want to risk hurting our guest… would you?”  
Asriel lowered his head before he sighed deeply, “No… I don’t want to hurt them.”  
Chara smiled before they gently placed the pills into Asriel’s hand, “Good.”  
Asriel quickly ate the pills just as Chara pulled a knitted, star-patterned blanket over his lap. Chara spoke, “Relax here, Frisk and I will make dinner.”  
Frisk raised a brow, “I can’t cook that well…”  
Chara smirked, “Then I will help you.”  
Chara beckoned Frisk to follow, “Come. I will even let you choose what to eat.”

Frisk followed Chara into the kitchen silently. Frisk frowned as they looked around the still dark kitchen, “What are we gonna do about the ligh-“  
Frisk let out a small gasp and paused. They felt something at their neck. They looked down to see a red knife had materialized at their throat, ready to cut into it. They froze as they felt a hand on their right shoulder. Out of the corner of their eye, they saw Chara’s eyes aglow. Chara approached Frisk’s ear and whispered in a threatening tone, “Do not make a sound and listen to me. Very. Carefully.”  
Frisk gulped and shook slightly before Chara continued, “Rei is the only good thing that has happened to me in this hellhole. He means _everything_ to me. If you hurt him in _any_ way.”  
Chara tightened their grip on Frisk’s shoulder, which caused Frisk to wince. Chara’s tone became even more menacing as they continued, “The monsters will be the _least_ of your worries in this prison. I will give you the slow, agonizing death you deserve.”  
A few tears escaped Frisk’s eyes. The blade disappeared from Frisk’s neck before Chara stepped in front of Frisk, their eyes still aglow. Chara gave Frisk an unsettling smile as they spoke only one word, “U N D E R S T O O D?”  
Frisk gave a few silent nods as they continued to quake in fear. Chara’s eyes stopped their glow and they smirked, “I am glad we understand each other, mirror.”  
Chara then reached into a nearby cabinet and found a light bulb, ready to be used. Nearby the two humans was a stepladder, still standing. Chara climbed the ladder and quickly changed the light bulb. The kitchen lit up immediately to reveal a small but tidy kitchen. Cabinets and counters line the left and right side of the kitchen. The back of the kitchen held a large fridge and a sink. Chara opened the fridge, “Snails are a large part of the diet down here. Otherwise, a human’s diet in the underground is entirely vegetarian.”  
Frisk hugged themselves slightly, still cautious of Chara. Their voice was quiet, “I don’t mind… snails,”  
Chara beckoned Frisk over to the fridge, “Come here. Since you are willing to not hurt Rei, I will still let you choose what we eat tonight.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frisk placed the last of three bowls on the table in the living room. Each bowl was accompanied by a glass of water and a fork. Asriel had curled up on the couch and had fallen asleep. Chara gently shook Asriel awake. They spoke kindly as they shook him, “Rei, wake up. Dinner is ready.”  
Asriel groaned and rubbed his eyes before he opened them. He frowned, “I… fell asleep, again?”  
Chara helped Asriel to a sitting position on the couch. They spoke with a smile, “It must have been all the cleaning you have done today.”  
Asriel smiled, “Hehe, you noticed?”  
Chara cradled Asriel’s cheek with one hand, “Of course I noticed, but thank you for not bothering the bags of dust this time.”  
Asriel frowned, “I… don’t want to touch them… anymore.”  
Chara pulled away, “One day, you will not have to.”  
Chara sat on the couch next to him, “For now, we must eat.”  
Chara patted the remaining area of the couch and looked at Frisk, “Come. Sit here, mirror.”  
Asriel raised a brow before he pulled the bowl in front of him close, “Why do you keep calling them ‘mirror’?”  
Chara pointed between themselves and Frisk as Frisk sat down on the couch, “Our faces look similar.”  
Asriel’s eyes quickly shifted between Chara and Frisk for a moment before his eyes widened slightly, “You’re right! I mean, there’s a bunch of differences, but you two do look similar!”

Frisk took a light glance at Chara in the light of the house. They saw similarities, but they also saw the differences they had seen when they met Chara. Asriel then spoke nervously, “Do… all human look this similar?”  
Chara shook their head lightly, “No. The fact a human with so many similar features to myself has fallen down here is uncanny.”  
“Uncanny?”  
Chara reached for their bowl and fork, “It means something is so familiar that it becomes unsettling.”  
Asriel grabbed his own bowl and crooked a brow, “The stew smells a little different. Frisk, did you choose the vegetables?”  
Frisk nodded, “I…. I don’t like celery… so we added more carrots.”  
Asriel smiled, “That’s okay.”  
Chara had already begun eating, “You two should start eating. It will get cold.”

The conversation paused for a few moments as Asriel and Frisk began to eat their own bowls of stew. Frisk spoke up, “Can I ask a few more questions?”  
Chara spoke calmly, “What is it?”  
Frisk paused, unsure which question to ask first, “Where do I go to get out of the underground?”  
Chara smirked and gave a light chuckle, “If one could leave the underground, the only exit would be on the other side. In the castle.”  
Frisk raised a brow, “Castle?”  
Chara swept their hand lightly over the table, “Let us say this table is the underground.”  
Chara pointed to where Asriel’s bowl was, “And let us say we are about here.”  
Frisk nodded, “Okay…”  
Chara ran their finger on the table, “There is still much of the underground left to traverse. Waterfall. Hotland. The Core. And finally…”  
Chara motioned to the area above Frisk’s bowl near the other edge of the table, “New Home, where most of the monster population resides. The castle as well.”  
Frisk pointed to the area Chara pointed to last, “And it’s in the castle?”  
Chara returned their hand to their side, “Yes, within the deepest confines of the castle. The throne room.”  
“So… the king of all monsters guards it?”  
Chara chuckled, “Saying he is ‘guarding’ it would be charitable phrasing. The only section of the barrier that one could feasibly walk through happens to be where his throne room is.”  
“What kind of monster is he? Have you met him?”  
Chara gave Frisk a slightly unnerving smile, “If I met him, I would be in his stomach right now.”  
Frisk backed to the edge of the couch and shook. Chara calmed their expression and spoke firmly, “You would meet that same fate, should he find you.”  
Frisk returned to their seat and begged, “How do I avoid him?”  
“You stay on guard, assume he’s behind every corner. But most of all… you must avoid blue lights.”  
Frisk’s eyes widened, “Because… he has... a glowing blue eye…”  
Chara raised a brow for a moment before they calmed it and spoke, “I see. The monster in the ruins told you.”  
Frisk nodded, “Papyrus… he said that if I see one glowing, blue eye…. it’s… already too late.”  
Chara nodded, “Because if that eye should fall on you, you will die.”

Asriel put a hand on Chara’s shoulder, slightly dispelling the conversation, “Um… Chara… can we talk about something else?”  
Chara looked over at Asriel with a smile, “Too much? Sorry, but I must speak the truth if our new friend wants to survive in here.”  
Asriel frowned, “I… I think that’s enough…they know where to go and what to avoid…”  
Asriel held Chara’s sleeve and shook, “That… should be enough… right?”  
Chara patted Asriel’s head, “Alright. We will change the topic. What would you like to talk about?”  
Asriel scratched his head, “Um… where’s Frisk going to sleep tonight?”  
Chara spoke bluntly, “They will sleep here on the couch.”  
Asriel huffed, “But two of us could fit on a bed!”  
Chara was about to retort but hesitated. They then gave Asriel a curt smile, “I see. If you had missed cuddling with me, you should have just told me.”  
Asriel’s white fur turned pink, his entire face flushed. He stammered over his words, “W-well… I mean, yeah, but you haven’t had many…. Nightmares lately…”  
Chara’s smile became genuine, “Well, then we’ll sleep in your bed tonight, and Frisk will sleep in mine. Is that agreeable?”  
Asriel calmed down, “Yeah! That okay with you, Frisk?”  
Frisk gave a calm nod. Chara spoke, “Then it is agreed.”

Frisk then spoke curiously, “Where are we going? You said we’d rest here until the dogs fall asleep.”  
Chara spoke plainly, “To the closest safe place in the underground to the barrier. From there…. We can plan how to get to the barrier.”  
Asriel perked up, “You’re going to the lab, again?”  
Chara hesitated, “Yes…”  
Asriel smiled, “Can I come with you this time? I wanna see dad!”  
Chara nodded, “Sure, Rei.”  
Asriel lightly pulled his shirt forward; from under it, he revealed a necklace on a golden chain. The necklace housed a golden locket in the shape of an upside-down heart; the shape of a monster’s soul. Frisk could see one side of the locket had an inscription etched into it, “Best Friends Forever”. Asriel spoke, “Promise you won’t get up early and leave me here this time?”  
Chara reached under their white shirt to reveal an identical locket. Frisk could see a ‘C’ engraving on the side they were looking at. Chara held their locket close to Asriel’s, “Asriel, I promise.”  
Asriel smiled, “Thanks, Chara.”

Chara and Asriel let their lockets hang outside their clothes. Asriel stood up and stretched, “I feel better already. Let me wash the dishes!”  
Asriel stood from the couch and collected everyone’s now empty bowls and forks. He reached to grab one of the empty water glasses before Chara put their hand on the glass, “Do not take more than you can carry.”  
Asriel giggled before he stacked the three bowls and put the forks into them. He then put one glass inside the bowls and held the two glasses with his other hand, “The God of Hyperdeath can handle carrying a few dishes!”  
Frisk raised a confused brow, “Huh?”  
Chara gently pushed the table away from the couch, “It is a little game we play to pass the time. He is a monster-turned-god, and I am the only human determined enough to stand against him.”  
Chara then gave a playful smirk as they flopped back on the couch, next to Frisk, “But with two humans here, we may just be able to tip the balance in my favor.”  
Asriel chuckled lightly, “Frisk can try!”  
Chara wrapped an arm over Frisk’s shoulder and gave them a wink, “What do you say, mirror? Care to play along? It will only consist of some board and card games since we cannot go outside.”  
Frisk stiffened at first, unsure what Chara would do. Frisk then relaxed slightly and decided playing along would be for the best. They spoke, “Sure, what are we playing?”  
Chara sighed, “Unfortunately, mirror, it is the God of Hyperdeath’s turn to choose our arenas.”  
Asriel gave a boisterous laugh from the kitchen, “What god would I be if I did not give this new human a chance? I grant you the mercy of choosing our three games!”  
Chara patted Frisk’s shoulder, “And you have already given us a great advantage! The games are in the cabinet over there.”

Chara pointed to a short but wide cabinet to the left of the couch, in front of the stairs. Frisk opened the cabinet doors to reveal tall, messy stacks of various board games. Most of the boxes were warped, worn, or broken from water damage. In the corner, Frisk could see four sets of normal playing cards. Frisk grabbed one of the decks and spoke, “Do you know how to play ‘I Doubt It’?”  
Chara raised a brow, “Maybe under a different name. What are the rules?”  
Frisk calmly explained, “Well, we split the deck evenly, and then we decide who goes first. The person who goes first is supposed to put an ace face down and we put cards face down and call out how many of what number. Someone can say ‘I doubt it’ if they think the person is lying about how many that person put down. If they were lying, they take the deck, if they were telling the truth, the other person takes the deck.”  
Chara nodded, “And the game ends when someone no longer has any cards. We have played this game before. We called it ‘Bluff’. Is that the first game you want to play?”  
Frisk blushed, “It’s one of the few card games I know….”  
“That does not answer the question. Do you choose Bluff as our first game against the God of Hyperdeath?”  
“Y-yeah.”  
Chara turned their head towards the kitchen and shouted, “Hear that, Rei?”  
Asriel whined, “Chara! I told you not to call me that when playing!”  
Chara let out a mirthful chuckle, “Oops. Must have slipped my mind.”  
Asriel huffed, “Liar.”  
Chara smirked, “Guilty. Once again the God of Hyperdeath outwits me.”  
Asriel called out boastfully, “That’s right!”  
Frisk heard dishes settle calmly on the countertop before Asriel rushed back into the living room. He put his left hand on his hip before he pointed towards Chara and Frisk sharply. He spoke out in boasting, “You may be two now, but the God of Hyperdeath will endure over this challenge easily! Go ahead and shuffle the deck! I’m ready for your challenge!”

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Asriel called out, “I win! Finally, the God of Hyperdeath destroys you!”  
Asriel gave a boastful laugh as Chara gave Asriel the last of their Monopoly money Chara smirked, “You have won this battle, but as I’ve said before, you’ve lost the war.”  
Asriel froze for a second before he spoke hesitantly, “Y-yeah! B-but if you count all our battles this week, then I’m still in the lead!”  
Chara raised a brow, “But I’ve been winning the year thus far.”  
Asriel huffed, “Gee, you’re right!”  
He smirked, “You’re still quite the opponent, human, but fear not! I will continue to win and overcome you!”

Frisk yawned, causing Asriel to snap back to reality. He relaxed and smiled, “You’re tired, Frisk?”  
Frisk nodded, “Yeah.”  
Chara mused dryly, “It has been a long game.”  
Asriel yawned and rubbed his eyes, “Now I’m yawning, too.”  
Chara smiled as they stood from the couch, “Come, let us get you into bed. And you are still in your pajamas,”  
Asriel puffed his cheeks, “They’re comfy, and I don’t leave the house much.”  
Chara extended their hand to help Asriel up, “You will tomorrow.”  
Asriel took Chara’s hand and nodded, “Yep!”

The three made their way upstairs. Chara opened the first door but pointed down the hall, “My room is over there. Do not sleep with your dust-covered clothes on. I will be there in a minute for my pajamas.”  
Asriel smiled as he went through the door, “It’s okay, Chara, you can’t really tuck me in without being in bed with me.”  
Chara shrugged, “Alright, I’ll be a minute then.”  
Asriel closed his door while Chara and Frisk went to Chara’s room. The room was cluttered with golden flowers, except on the bed. Bits of dust covered the red carpeting, giving the carpet a sparkle. Copies of Chara’s shirts and jackets were thrown into two piles, some in decent condition, the other torn almost to shreds. On the dresser was a watering can, more flowers, and a couple extra knives. Chara glared at Frisk, “Mirror, we may both be human, but I still prefer to change alone. Wait outside.”  
Frisk backed away nervously and closed the door. After a minute, Chara exited the room in simple green, long-sleeved pajamas. Chara continued to glare at Frisk, “Not a single thing except the bed is to be touched. Understand?”  
Frisk nodded silently before Chara relaxed slightly, but still kept a threatening gaze, “Good. You will change back into those clothes tomorrow. Now go to sleep.”

Frisk entered the room quickly and sighed. They stood there in the center of the room for a few moments before they changed out of their clothes and went to sleep in Chara’s bed. Meanwhile, Chara went downstairs and waited a moment before they pulled a flip phone they had hidden in a fold of their pajamas. They quickly dialed a number from memory and waited a few moments before they spoke quietly, “It’s me.”  
They paused, “Yes.”   
Another pause, “Do not worry. I am bringing them to you tomorrow. I could not risk tonight with the dogs on the prowl.”  
Chara bit their lip as they waited for their turn, “Tomorrow, that will no longer be a problem. However… Asriel insisted on coming along. Make sure he is kept busy.”  
Chara let out a noise of confirmation after a few moments, “Just keep your end of the deal and I will keep mine. Goodbye.”  
Chara hung up the phone and placed it on the table in front of the couch before they went upstairs to sleep.


	5. Family and Friends

Frisk awoke to the sound of gentle knocking. Through their groggy state, Frisk could hear Asriel speak, “Frisk? Breakfast is almost ready!”  
Frisk yawned then called out, “Okay!”  
Frisk stretched and got out of Chara’s bed before they dressed themselves in their still-dusty clothes. Frisk then slowly made their way downstairs, slowly awakened by the smell of oatmeal. Frisk spotted Asriel setting the table in the living room with a smile and humming a light tune. Instead of his pajamas, he was dressed fully dressed. He wore simple, light blue jeans and a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt. Around his neck was a rainbow scarf, with his necklace barely peeking through from under it. He saw Frisk and frowned, “Are you okay?”  
Frisk nodded and rubbed their eyes, “It just takes me a little while to wake up.”  
Asriel shrugged it off, “Okay.”  
Chara spoke up as they exited the kitchen, “This will wake you up.”  
Chara held three bowls, steam emitting from each bowl. They placed the bowls on the table before they raised a brow at Asriel, “I thought I told you that scarf was a bad idea.”  
Asriel huffed, “You said last time I needed to have something other than the blue clothes, though.”  
Chara’s eye twitched slightly before they sighed, “Fine.”  
Asriel smiled as he sat down on the couch, “Thanks, Chara.”  
Chara eyed Frisk with a light scowl, “Eat. We will leave afterward.”

Frisk quietly made their way to the couch and sat down. They looked into their bowl to see it was oatmeal, with a spoon at the ready for them in the bowl. The three of them began to eat in silence, but after a while, Asriel began to speak, “So um… Frisk… did you know you’re gonna see our dad at the lab?”  
Frisk perked up with a light smile, “That sounds nice, is he in charge of the lab?”  
Asriel frowned, “No, he’s not.”  
He then perked up quickly, “He’s his assistant, though! Chara can tell you more about Dr. Gaster!”  
Chara hesitated but saw Frisk’s curious expression. Chara spoke plainly, “There is not much to say about him.”  
Asriel raised a brow, “But you have to go to the lab so much, so you must talk to him a lot, right?”  
“Not… a lot…”  
Asriel raised a brow, “So, you just go there to have your blood drained?”  
Chara matched Asriel’s brow, “What else would I do there besides talk with Father?”  
Asriel shrugged, “I dunno, just thought since you were there, you and Dr. Gaster would have talked a lot more.”  
Chara shrugged, “Who knows?”  
Frisk spoke quietly, “So, we’re going to see this Dr. Gaster?”  
Chara nodded, “Yes. He’s always wanted nothing more than to help. His aid should be little trouble to obtain.”  
Frisk smiled, “That’s a relief. What’s he like?”  
Chara retorted dryly, “Better than the king, but that is not a hard goal to accomplish.”  
Frisk was about to speak again, but Chara quickly cut them off, “Eat. We need to leave before most diurnal monsters wake up.”  
Asriel raised a brow, “Monsters that sleep at night, like us, right?”  
Chara gave a genuine smile to Asriel, “I am glad you are remembering mine and Mother’s vocabulary lessons.”  
Asriel beamed, “Can we see mom on the way back?!”  
Chara hesitated slightly before they patted Asriel’s head, “If it is safe, we will.”  
Asriel huffed and gently removed Chara’s hand from his head, “Chara, I’m not a little kid!”  
Chara gave Asriel a teasing grin, “And yet, you allowed me to pat your head last night.”  
Asriel stumbled over his words in a fluster, “I-I was tired then…”  
“A likely story.”  
Asriel huffed before he returned to his oatmeal in order to quickly drop the topic. Chara gave a mirthful chuckle, “Suit yourself.”

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Chara took a bag and quickly tossed some dust onto Frisk and themselves, “There, this should cover our scent until we reach the lab.”  
Asriel winced, “Please don’t make me be covered in some, too…”  
Chara closed the bag and shoved it into a pocket in their jacket. They raised a brow at Asriel, “We already have proven you do not need to hide your scent. Just the humans.”  
Asriel frowned, but nodded, “Yeah…”  
Chara turned up their hood and secured a sheathed blade on their back hip. They spoke bluntly, “Let’s go.”

Chara opened the door before the three of them stepped out into the snow. They made sure the door was shut behind them before they walked close to Asriel. Their eyes shifted constantly, expecting something to pop up. Frisk's eyes began to wander as well, due to the silence of the walk. After the house was out of view, Frisk caught sight of something familiar. A golden flower; but it quickly disappeared into the ground. Chara noticed Frisk’s gaze locked on something, “What is it?”  
Frisk pointed to where the flower used to be, “A flower… disappeared.”  
Chara smirked, “It must have been that flower again.”  
“You mean… Boogie?”  
Chara chuckled lightly, “I had nearly forgotten that flower’s name. It is harmless. It only looks from a distance now. Not since I taught it to stay away.”  
Asriel frowned, “But… Boogie was nice…”  
Chara spoke bluntly, “Many monsters used to be nice, Asriel.”  
Asriel nodded in understanding as he followed behind Chara and Frisk, “Yeah…”  
Chara noticed Asriel straggle behind them, “Rei, is the medicine not kicking in?”  
Asriel quickly caught up, “I’m not used to walking this fast.”  
Chara gently pulled Asriel to their left, while Frisk walked on their right. Chara smiled, “Here, we will try to slow down a little. However, you must keep up. Okay?”  
Asriel smiled, “Okay. Thankfully we won’t have to walk far.”  
Frisk raised a brow, “Is the lab very close?”  
Chara eyed Frisk, “No. We only know a shortcut.”  
“Shortcut?”  
Asriel smiled, “Yeah, we ask the Riverperson for a trip to Hotland, and we’re pretty much next to the lab!”  
Chara shot a glance at Asriel, “Please, Rei, keep your voice down.”  
Asriel frowned and lowered his voice, “Sorry, Chara.”  
Asriel turned his gaze forwards and smiled, “We’re here.”

Asriel rushed ahead towards a riverbed in the distance. Frisk noticed something hanging from the closest tree to the river. A simple handbell, with a simple brown rope hanging from it to ring the bell. Asriel panted heavily as he stopped next to the bell, only a quick dash for a few moments. He caught his breath as Chara and Frisk slowly caught up. Chara gently touched Asriel’s shoulder, “Are you tired? You will be able to rest soon. I am sure Father will make your favorite tea when we get there.”  
Asriel took a deep breath before he breathing normalized. He smiled, “I’ll be okay…”  
Chara then rang the bell, only moving it twice. Their hand hovered to their back hip and their gaze turned away from the river. Their eyes constantly shifted in the few moments the three of them waited for the boat to arrive. It was a simple cat-faced boat, which held a simple tall, but heavily cloaked traveler. The hooded figure turned towards the group and spoke, their voice slightly distorted and ambiguous, “Tra la la; greetings Chara, little Asriel. Ah, who is your new friend?”  
Frisk answered nervously, “I’m Frisk.”  
Asriel gave a small smile, “It’s okay. Riverperson won’t hurt you.”  
Chara spoke politely to Riverperson, “Greetings, Riverperson, we are all going to the lab today.”  
Riverperson nodded, “Then step aboard, and I will take you to Hotland.”

The three stepped onto the boat. Frisk sat near the back of the boat while Asriel sat next to Chara in the middle of the boat. Riverperson turned forward before they spoke, “Tra la la, to Hotland we ride.”  
The boat began to move smoothly, but quickly along the water. Even the boat did not rock much as it rode upon the river. Frisk watched the cavern slowly surround them, seeing tiny blue stones bud from the walls. Chara eyed the stones nervously. Asriel saw this and gently spoke, but did not touch them, “Chara?”  
Chara focused their attention on Asriel and calmed down, “Thank you, Rei.”  
Asriel smiled, “No problem.”  
Riverperson spoke, “Tra la la, a distant echo rings familial.”  
Frisk raised a brow, “What does… that mean?”  
Chara spoke plainly, “Riverperson often speaks in riddles. Most of the time, it means nothing.”  
Riverperson spoke, “I only speak the truth, Chara, my words have warned you before.”  
Chara crossed their arms, “I mean no offense, Riverperson, but I still believe that incident was merely a coincidence.”  
Asriel raised a brow, “You mean the one in the dump with the incoming trash?”  
Chara nodded before Riverperson responded, “Tra la la, you may believe what you believe, Chara. I will continue to speak them so others may hear.”  
Chara relaxed, “Speak them as you please.”  
Riverperson spoke, “Tra la la, your stop is soon. There are no monsters nearby.”  
Chara nodded and stood, “Thank you as always, Riverperson.”

Riverperson’s boat arrived at a new stop. It was much like the cavern the group had just traveled through but lacked the blue crystals. Instead of the cold of Snowdin, a sweltering heat wafted from down a tall set of stairs. A bright, red and orange light could be seen at the top of the stairs. Chara exited the boat first and helped Asriel as Frisk exited the boat. Chara then bowed lightly towards Riverperson, “We will see you next time, Riverperson.”  
Riverperson turned forwards in their boat, “I look forward to it as always, Chara, little Asriel, and Frisk.”  
The group silently watched Riverperson’s boat disappear down the river into the caverns. Once Riverperson was gone, Chara approached the stairs and called to Frisk and Asriel, “We are almost there.”  
The three walked up the stairs, and Frisk finally saw the large laboratory in the near-distance. They looked in awe as the three of them approached the lab. Asriel smiled, “Dad knows we’re coming, right?”  
Chara shook their head lightly, “No, I forgot to call him last night.”  
Asriel kept his smile and his eyes twinkled, “Then, we’ll be a nice surprise!”

The three of them reached the door, which opened immediately upon their approach. The lab was fairly clean inside, with one tall monster inside the large initial room. He was dressed in a lab coat, simple yellow shirt, and purple slacks. His fur was white, except for the top if his head and his beard. They were a golden-blonde. Frisk noticed this monster was a goat monster, much like Asriel, but had tall horns straight out of his head, curving slightly inwards. The monster turned his attention towards the door and adjusted his simple square-framed glasses. He gasped in surprise, “Chara! Asriel! What a nice surprise!”  
Asriel beamed, “Dad!”  
Asriel ran into the monster’s arms. Asriel then spoke through heavy breaths, “I... missed you…”  
The monster frowned, “Asriel, have you been taking your medicine? You sound tired from that dash just now.”  
Asriel pouted as he pulled away from the monster’s embrace, “I have! I took some this morning, too!”  
The monster set Asriel down as Frisk and Chara approached and mused along with scratching his beard, “Perhaps we will need to have you take more…”  
He then noticed Chara and Frisk. He blinked in surprise at the sight of Frisk. He then squinted his eyes and adjusted his glasses slightly, “My… I almost mistook you for a clone of Chara. What is your name, young one?”  
Frisk replied calmly, “Frisk.”  
The monster stood tall and spoke kindly, “What a nice name, I am Asgore. I am the assistant to the Royal Scientist, Dr. W. D. Gaster.”  
Asgore then looked towards Chara in mild confusion, “Chara, your next scheduled blood extraction is not for a few days, are you here because of Frisk?”  
Chara nodded, “Yes. I found them in Snowdin Forest yesterday afternoon.”  
Asgore frowned, “How dreadful, did you have to fight the previous Royal Guard?”  
Chara nodded, “Yes. They would have found Frisk within minutes if I had not aided them.”  
Asgore kneeled down and rustled Chara’s hair, “I am glad you were able to help them.”  
Chara huffed before Asriel snickered. Frisk then spoke, “Um… Mr. Asgore? Chara said that Dr. Gaster could help me reach the barrier.”  
Asgore frowned; he saw Chara shot a glare at him for a moment. He gave Frisk a small smile, “Yes… perhaps… we should go see him…”

Chara began to walk towards an elevator door, “I assume he is working on the substitute currently?”  
Asgore nodded as he followed Chara to the door, “Yes. Last time he spoke to me he said he would.”  
Asriel followed nervously while Frisk followed curiously. The elevator was slightly cramped, but Asgore made sure to stand in a back corner to allow Chara, Asriel, and Frisk to stand comfortably. Chara pushed the only button next to the door and said door closed just before the elevator began to move down. Asgore then spoke to Frisk, “The lower lab can be quite the labyrinth. I would suggest not wandering off down here without myself or Chara since they are here quite often.”  
Asriel whined, “I know my way around here, too!”  
Chara spoke calmly to Asriel, “You have not been here for a few months. Many rooms have been switched around for storage purposes.”  
Asriel blinked, dumbfounded, “Oh…”

The elevator door opened to a singular hallway that soon branched into many more hallways and rooms. After a few turns in their trip, Frisk spoke in awe, “It is like a maze down here.”  
Asriel huffed before he tried to walk ahead of the group, “I can still tell where we’re going.”  
Chara called to Asriel, “Rei, we are going in that direction, but a little bit further.”  
Asriel stopped and turned back to the group, “We’re not going to Dr. Gaster’s office?”  
“No. There is a certain room he uses to make the substitute.”  
Asgore frowned, “Asriel… you should be able to smell it soon…”  
Asriel raised a brow, “Smell wha-“  
He cut himself off, his eyes widened in a realization. He then frowned and curled in on himself slightly, “Oh… right…”  
Chara glanced at Frisk, “We will smell it soon, as well.”

Frisk raised a brow silently, but before long they smelled it. Blood. The stench became heavier as the group journeyed deeper into the lab. Asriel covered his nose, still downcast as the continued on. The group soon stopped in front of a door with a sign hung on it reading, “Do not disturb unless absolutely necessary.”  
Asgore knocked on the door, “Dr. Gaster, this is important.”  
The group heard some rummaging and an exasperated sigh, “Just a moment, Asgore.”  
After a few moments, the door opened to reveal the Royal Scientists. He was a tall skeleton, just short of Asgore’s height minus his horns. Embedded in his skull were two deep cracks in his skull. One from his left eye down to the left is his chin and slightly through his mouth. The other from his right eye running to the top of his skull, where it split into two cracks. Said eyes were ovals of lavender purple and his teeth were jagged and spiked at the sides of his mouth. He wore a gray, striped-upwards turtleneck under a long one piece, long-sleeved black coat, with matching black pants and formal shoes.  
He was about to speak before he noticed Frisk and smirked, “Well now, I see why you knocked.”  
Frisk curled inwards nervously, “My name is Frisk. Um… Chara said you could… help me get to the barrier safely…”  
Gaster raised a brow in intrigue, “Did they now?”  
His eyes fell on Chara for a short moment. Chara shared a glance with him and gave a quick nod. Gaster returned his gaze towards Frisk, “Yes, but we will need some time to plan such an… excursion…”  
Asriel held his nose tightly and shook. Chara noticed this and cradled his arm and shoulder, “Rei….”  
Asriel cried, “I don’t want to smell your blood anymore…”  
Gaster spoke, “Chara, perhaps you and… Frisk… could go to the private library and find some maps to prepare for this journey.”  
Chara nodded, “Sounds like a plan. Rei, go with Father and Dr. Gaster. Being near me may cause these issues to continue. We will not be long.”  
Asriel stained his voice, “Promise?”  
Chara reached under their shirt and showed their necklace with a genuine smile, “I promise.”

Asgore patted Asriel’s shoulder, “Come, Asriel. I will make your favorite tea to calm you down.”  
Asriel nodded before he went along with Asgore and Gaster. Gaster turned his gaze back towards Frisk and Chara for a moment before he turned forward with a smirk. Chara smiled towards Frisk, “I believe the laboratory’s private library is not far from here.”  
Chara beckoned Frisk to follow, “This way. Where the hall ends.”  
Frisk nodded before they followed Chara down the hall nervously.


	6. True Colors

The walk to the end of the hall was silent for Frisk and Chara, save for their footsteps on the linoleum. Chara opened the last door in the hallway and spoke bluntly, “Just in here.”  
Frisk peaked into the room to see it was pitch black. The lights were not on. Chara mused, “I do not know why, but the light switch is on the other side of the room.”  
Frisk nodded, “I can find it.”  
Frisk entered the dark room and kept their arms up to find the light switch. But after a few moments, once Frisk was near the center of the room, they heard the door close along with a click sound afterward. They stopped and turned back towards the door, but could not see it in the now complete darkness. Frisk spoke nervously, “Chara?”  
They heard a dark, low chuckle from Chara, “You naíve fool.”  
Frisk took a step back in the dark and shook silently. They then heard Chara’s footsteps approach. Chara spoke with a gaff, “Did you honestly believe it would be easy to leave this underground hell?”  
Frisk unconsciously matched Chara’s footsteps as Chara’s eyes began to glow red; the only source of light in the dark room. Chara continued in a serious, venomous tone, “No… it is kill or be killed down here and I _refuse_ to die down here.”  
Frisk hit a wall and let out a small, unconscious gasp before they covered their mouth and shook. Chara’s crimson eyes drew closer, and Frisk could partially see their crazed smirk. They heard a new sound; metal sliding against a sheath. The light of Chara’s eyes reflected off a surface, a knife. Chara spoke low, “So, I will have my mirror die in my stead. Stay still, mirror. I will make this as painless as I can. Consider that an award for being nice to Rei.”  
Chara’s knife rose into the darkness, out of Frisk’s sight. They panicked and dodged to their right with a yelp. Chara’s eyes turned to a glare and their smile dropped to a frown, “I was trying to be reasonable. You will die down here no matter what you do. The least you could do is give your death purpose.”  
Frisk began to cry and crawl away from Chara, “Why are you doing this?! What did I do to you?!”  
Chara mused aloud, “It is nothing personal, mirror. You merely possessed the ill fortune to fall down here.”

Frisk reached the other side of the room and stood. They panicked and began to pat against the wall in an attempt to find the door. They saw a new red light behind them before they turned. A crimson knife flew towards them. They yelped again before they dodged bellow, the knife seemingly shattering against the wall. Chara let out an annoyed ‘tch’ in the darkness, “You are becoming more trouble than I first thought.”  
Frisk saw five more knives cutting a red light through the darkness. The knives illuminated the wall Frisk was against, revealing the door. Frisk dived for it as the knives plunged towards them. They fiddled with the door to find it locked. They quickly unlocked the door and ran out of the room, dodging the knives. Chara calmly walked out of the room and chuckled before they called out, “You can run, but I know my way around this lab, mirror. I will catch you before long.”  
Chara dashed down the hall, their eyes aglow akin to red flames. Said eyes darted around the hall, sharply taking in any chance of a clue. They were determined not to let their mirror escape.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Asgore placed a flower-painted teacup on a coffee table in front of him, “There we are, a nice cup of mint tea.”  
Asriel, Asgore, and Gaster sat in a small room, fashioned into a living room. There was an old leather couch, repair marks all over the back end, which Asgore sat next to Asriel on. In front of the couch was a worn, but sturdy, oak coffee table, where three cups of tea and a teapot sat. Across the table were two chairs and a mini-table in-between them. One chair was an armchair with a Victorian wooden frame and leather backing, which Gaster sat in. The empty seat was a metal-framed chair with plush padding.

Gaster silently looked over some reports as Asriel began to sip his tea. He smiled and gave a relaxed sigh. Asgore gently rubbed Asriel’s back, “Are you feeling better?”  
Asriel set his teacup down, “Yeah…”  
“Do you need to take-“  
Asriel shook his head quickly, “No!”  
He calmed down quickly, “I… I already took my morning dose.”  
Asgore sighed, “Perhaps we need to increase your dosage.”  
Asriel shook his head again, “But Chara can’t make anymore.”  
Gaster spoke up but did not take his eyes off of his reports, “They can make more, but increasing the amount of blood drawn increases the risk of anemia. Anemic blood has little value.”  
Asgore smiled towards Asriel, “We do what we can to make this arraignment comfortable for everyone.”  
Asriel frowned, “But… Chara doesn’t seem happy anymore… They put a smile on for me… but it still feels like they’re not happy.”  
Gaster looked up from his reports, “Do you understand how dangerous it is for Chara down here?”  
Asriel began to twiddle his thumbs, “Well… um… golly, I haven’t thought about it too much.”  
Gaster’s frown intensified slightly as he put his reports on the mini-table next to him, “The fact Chara has survived down here is nothing short of what humans would call a miracle. They are lucky to have your family and myself as allies when it would be natural for us to devour them. You would do well to remember that.”  
Asriel nodded solemnly and turned his gaze downwards with a crestfallen gaze. Asgore spoke to Gaster with slight solemn, “Please, sir, there is no need to be so harsh on him.”  
Gaster relaxed and recollected his reports, “Perhaps not.”

Gaster stood, “I have little time for this. I must finish the next batch. You two may relax in here until Chara returns.”  
Asriel frowned, “But… what about helping Frisk get to the barrier?”  
Gaster casually dismissed Asriel’s words, “There will be plenty of time for that later.”  
Gaster then suddenly disappeared in front of Asriel and Asgore’s eyes. Asgore gave a heavy sigh before he comforted Asriel, “Please do not think too harshly of him. Creating and distributing the substitute can be stressful. Not to mention the stress from… the king…”  
Asriel perked up, “You didn’t say King Sans was doing stuff like that…”  
Asgore shook his head lightly, “It is best we do not discuss it. I do not want you to share this stress.”  
Asriel frowned, “Okay…”

There was an awkward silence for a few moments as Asriel took another sip of tea. Once he put the cup down he spoke curiously, “So how’s mom?”  
Asgore’s eyes widened for a second before he spoke, “She’s… doing what she can.”  
Asriel smiled, “Yeah, Chara said mom was helping monsters in Waterfall.”  
His smile dropped, “But… I haven’t seen here for… gosh… I don’t know how long it’s been since we visited her…”  
Asgore hesitated to smile, “I am… sure you will have the chance to visit her soon.”  
Asriel nodded, “Uh-huh! Chara said we could visit her on the way back if it’s safe!”  
Asriel blinked and looked towards the door, “But… Chara and Frisk sure are taking a long time…”  
“They should be returning soon…”  
Asriel hopped off the couch, “I’ll go help them!”  
Asgore stood and spoke nervously, “That… should not be necessary…”  
Asriel ignored Asgore’s words and rushed out of the room. Asgore rushed after Asriel in a clear panic, “Asriel! Wait!”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frisk panted heavily in the small room they ducked into. They had turned down a few hallways before they ducked into a random room. They stood against the door in the dark. They only felt the door they leaned on, and their heart beating out of their chest. A few tears escaped their eyes. _Why is Chara trying to kill me_ , they thought. Frisk tried to think on Chara’s words, but they heard Chara call out in the hallway in a sing-song tone, “Miirrooor~ If you come out now, I swear to make your death as painless as possible.”  
Frisk stifled their pants and covered their mouth. They could barely hear Chara’s footsteps through the door. Chara’s eyes darted throughout the hallway for the slightest sign of Frisk. A footprint, an askew door handle, anything. They paused in front of a random door. A doorknob slightly askew. They smirked before they swung the door open inwards. Frisk yelped before the door threw them to the floor. They quickly crawled into the darkness as Chara entered the room. Chara gave an amused grin, “I must admit I am equally impressed and irritated by your skill to run.”  
Chara reached to their right on the wall and found a light switch. They flipped the switch to see metal shelves full of boxes, each carefully marked with a topic and a date. Frisk was against one of the shelves and quickly stood. Chara’s eyes locked onto Frisk as their grin turned into a heavy frown, “But I have trained to survive down here. I learned how to fight. All you can do is run.”  
Frisk turned to run into the room, but Chara quickly grabbed them by their sweater and threw them into a nearby corner. Frisk opened their eyes to see five knives float in front of them and Chara’s eyes aglow once more. Chara smirked, “This is the end you have fled to. Goodbye.”  
Frisk shook, closed their eyes, and closed in on themselves. All they could do was wait for the end.

“Chara?” A voice cut through the tension of the room, one that was neither Frisk’s or Chara’s. Chara gasped, their eyes lost their fire and their knives disappeared. They turned, their eyes and voice filled with horror, “A-Asriel?”  
Asriel stood in the doorway, his mouth hung open with exhaustion and shock. His eyes locked on Chara for a few moments before his gaze floated downward to Frisk, who was still shaking in the corner. Asriel’s voice wavered in concern, “What… were you about to do to Frisk?”  
Chara’s fear subsided to nervousness for a few short moments, “Why are you here?”  
Asriel frowned, “Chara! Please! Answer the question!”  
Frisk peeked open their eyes to see the conversation unfold. Chara stood in silence for a moment before they gave a disheartened sigh. They frowned and nearly begged, “Rei… I have to do this…”  
Tears welled in Asriel’s eyes, his voice became quiet and somber, “You were really gonna kill them?”  
Chara reached for their locket with their free hand, their expression pained. They closed their eyes for a few moments to collect themselves before they spoke, “…Yes.”  
Asriel stepped forward and raised his voice, “Why?! Frisk didn’t do anything to deserve this, right?! You said you were gonna help them get to the barrier!”  
“It does not matter whether they deserve this or not; it must be done or-“  
Asriel interrupted Chara while fervently shaking his head, “No it doesn’t!”  
Asriel walked up to Chara while his tears began to walk towards Chara. Chara instinctually pointed their knife backward slightly and took a step back from Asriel. Asriel stood in front of Chara and sniffled, “Chara… please… you don’t have to do this.”  
Chara closed their eyes and looked down with a frown. Behind their eyelids, their eyes began to glow just before they spoke bluntly, “Yes. I do.”  
A knife materialized above Chara. Asriel gasped when he saw it and pushed Chara to the side and shouted, “Frisk! Run!”

The knife disappeared immediately as Chara lost their concentration. Frisk immediately dashed to the door as Chara groaned and stood. When Frisk was in the doorway, Chara’s eyes widened and called out, “No!”  
Chara summoned another knife to fly towards Frisk’s back, but Asriel stood in the way to allow Frisk to run out the door. Chara gasped and caused the knife to dissipate before it touched Asriel. They yelled in worry, “Rei! Move!”  
Asriel shook his head as Frisk ran down the hall, “I’m not gonna hurt let you hurt them!”  
Chara stood and approached with a sorrowful gaze, “Then you leave me no choice.”  
Asriel curled in on himself and shook for a second. He then quickly snapped out of it and pushed Chara back before Chara could do the same. Chara was knocked into a nearby shelf and held their head in a daze. Asriel quickly spoke, “Sorry, Chara.”  
He then ran down the hallway after Frisk, “Wait! This way!”  
Chara tried to move, their vision and hearing were distorted while their head pounded. They groaned out, “Wait…. Asriel…”

They had to stay for a few moments to regain their composure. They then booked it, with their free hand still holding their head. Before they exited the room, a figure appeared in the doorway; Asgore. Asgore spoke in worry, “Chara, what ha-“  
Chara curtly cut them off, “The human is escaping!”  
Asgore moved out of the doorway as the two dashed down the corridors. Asgore still spoke in concern, “What happened?”  
Chara answered in annoyance, “Asriel interfered. Why did you two let him back here?”  
Asgore spoke solemnly, “I’m sorry… he rushed out the door before I knew what happened…”  
Chara let out an annoyed ‘tch’, “He is going to cost us greatly if that human escapes.”  
“Did you not tell him everything?”  
Chara lightened their tone slightly, “No…”  
Asgore sighed as they rounded another corridor, “We should be at the elevator soo-“  
The two of them suddenly heard a whirring sound within the walls. Chara gasped, “No!”  
They dashed around the last corner to see no one at the end of the hall. Chara’s pace slowed as they approached the elevator with a distraught look, “I was… too late…”

Chara dropped to their knees, their knife clattered on the linoleum floor. Tears welled in Chara’s eyes while Asgore approached. Asgore kneeled down, but gave Chara their space as they began to sob. Their sobs lasted a few moments until the two heard a voice behind them, “I see you have failed to uphold your end of the bargain.”  
Chara froze with a gasp, they did not look at the figure behind them; they knew who it was. After a moment, they felt themselves lift into the air. They panicked as they were turned to see the caster; Dr. Gaster. Asgore pleaded, “Please, sir, surely there is another way!”  
Chara shook in the air silently, unable to form coherent words. Gaster turned his gaze towards Asgore before he spoke in a serious tone, “We had an agreement; Chara was to bring me the final soul we needed to shatter the barrier. They have failed.”  
Gaster turned his gaze back towards Chara, “And with _two_ humans in the underground… our _king_ will notice.”  
Chara managed to blurt out a few words, “Please… please just give me one more chance!”  
“I have protected you these past five years, as per our agreement. I threw the king off your trail numerous times. I’ve withstood his threats-“  
Chara interrupted him with their begging, “I will find them before he does! I will bring that human back here and kill them! I swear!”  
Chara began to weep again between their words, “Just… please…. give me one more chance…”  
Gaster sighed before he let Chara go. Chara dropped to the floor with a thud as Gaster spoke firmly, “Very well, but know this, Chara; if I see the king wander too close, I will have no choice but to use the soul of the one he does not devour.”  
Chara grabbed their knife and wiped away their tears, “Understood.”  
Chara walked up to the elevator and pressed the button. Asgore walked up to Chara, “I know it does not mean much, but… good luck.”  
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Chara stepped into the elevator with a serious gaze despite their still puffy eyes, “I do not need luck; I have skills, they only have their feet.”

The doors closed seconds later, leaving Chara to their thoughts. A smirk graced their face as they spoke to themselves, “I see now. You think you can steal Rei from me, mirror?”  
They chuckled darkly before the elevator doors opened, “You wanted a slow death all along, didn’t you? I will gladly oblige.”


	7. Blunt Conversation

Asriel and Frisk ran out of the elevator with Asriel leading. The two did not speak; they only tried to keep their breaths even as they ran out of the lab and into Hotland. Asriel spoke, “C’mon! Let’s go to Ri-“  
Asriel yelped before he stopped running dead in his tracks. Frisk wasn’t ready for this and nearly bumped into him. Asriel’s eyes locked at the top of the staircase to Riverperson’s Hotland dock. Two monsters stood there, ones unfamiliar to him. The two monsters wore lab coats and held bags of what appeared to be small machines and various machine parts in decent condition. One of the monsters exclaimed in shock, “That’s a human!”  
The other one dropped their bag before they charged towards Asriel and Frisk, claws ready to strike. Asriel and Frisk panicked and ran in a different direction, into Waterfall. They were quickly surrounded by the low, blue light of the tunnel, though it took Frisk’s eyes a while to adjust to the low light.

Asriel led Frisk out of the tunnel, with the monster still in pursuit, and turned a sharp right. Frisk let out a small yelp at the sudden turn but did not complain. The monster, however, was not prepared for the turn and skidded off the cliff side with curses under their breath. The monster acted quickly and used its claws to cling to the side of the cliff side. It growled after it was settled on the cliffside, “Run all you want! I’ll get you, human!”  
Frisk winced as the monster’s words echoed throughout the cavern. Asriel spoke worriedly, “Don’t listen to them, Frisk.”  
Frisk was silent, unsure what to say. At least, until they began to pass by strange flowers in a waterlogged tunnel. They heard whispers of different voices come from the flowers. “I don’t want to die.” “I can’t go on.” “What’s the use?” “It hurts…” “Someone…. Help me…”  
Frisk opened their mouth to speak, but Asriel raised a finger to their mouth to quietly shush them. Frisk nodded in understanding before Asriel removed his finger. After the two passed by the flowers, Asriel spoke in a whisper, “Those are echo flowers. They repeat back the last thing they heard.”  
Frisk’s already terrified expression saddened, “So… all of those are-“  
Asriel pulled Frisk out of the water and shushed them, “We have to be quiet again.”  
Frisk noticed they were at a dead end with an echo flower and a small wall crevasse covered with tall grasses. Asriel silently pointed to the grasses while still panting heavily. Frisk nodded before Asriel quickly collected his breath and the two entered the grassy crevasse. Frisk heard the echo flower quietly from their hiding spot, “No! Please! Do-“  
Each recording ended with a sickening crunch. Frisk shook their head and sat down with their legs tucked deeply into their chest. They laid their head on their knees and hugged themselves tightly. They tried desperately to ignore the echo flower but knew they had to keep it as it was. Asriel sat close and whispered with a heavy breath, “We can still whisper to each other here.”  
Asriel returned to his quiet panting, but Frisk shook their head. Tears began to stream from Frisk’s eyes, and they fell to quiet sobs.

The two of them heard a splash of water a few minutes later. Asriel began to hold his breath, but Frisk kept silent without keeping their breath still. They heard the monster from before growl, “Damn, the water’s washed off the human’s scent…”  
The monster loudly sniffed the air for a few moments before they muttered, “Damnit, guess I’ll just go report it… those feral monsters better not get it before I do…”  
Frisk and Asriel heard the monster exit the water and leave the way they came. For a few moments, everything was still. The only thing heard once more was the echo flower’s horrible memory. Asriel then released his breath sharply and slowly normalized his breathing. Frisk relaxed slightly and wiped away their tears before they shuddered and breathed as sharply as Asriel. Asriel then whispered, “Come on, we gotta go. Chara’s probably is getting close now…”  
Frisk nodded before the two walked together deeper into Waterfall.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Chara noticed a monster outside of the lab. It stood there with its gaze towards Waterfall and a couple of large bags settled next to it. Chara gritted their teeth behind their lips. They needed to deal with this if they had any chance of catching up to Frisk and Asriel. They had to take a risk. They pulled up their hood, hiding their face, and hid their hands in their jacket pockets. The dust on them with still there, maybe they could just walk past? Chara sighed deeply before they exited the building with a calm walk. As they walked past, the monster spoke, “Hey, kid?”  
Chara stopped. Were they caught? They did not outwardly react. They spoke to the monster calmly, but did not look back at it, “What?”  
The monster spoke in warning, “Just… be careful in Waterfall… okay? I mean… you’ve heard a lot of feral monsters are in there… right?”  
Chara nodded, “Thank you for your advice.”

Chara then continued onward with no further interruptions from that monster. However, once they exited the main tunnel to the cliff side area, another monster approached. They seemed irritated and muttered to themselves in hushed tones. Chara fixed their hood to further hide their face before they calmly walked past the monster, but kept their eyes on it. As they passed, they heard the monster sniff the air. Chara’s eyes widened before they jumped forward. They quickly grabbed their blade in time to see the monster attack the ground where Chara used to stand. The monster gave an impish grin, “I may have lost that other human, but you’ll do nicely!”  
Chara gritted their teeth, “I do not have time for you.”  
The monster swung its left arm towards Chara from the side, “TOO BAD!”  
Chara lifted their knife to parry the attack, and the knife slid to the gap between their pinky and their ring finger. The knife slashed all the way through the monster’s flesh, cutting off the finger with little resistance. The monster roared in pain and held their hand as their pinky finger dropped to the ground and disintegrated into dust. Chara had an opportunity. They summoned two of their red knives and plunged them deep into the monster’s chest from the back and front. The monster’s breath stopped instantly as they collapsed into dust within a few seconds. Chara turned back, looking deeper into Waterfall with a sigh, “They are going to be far ahead now…”  
They stowed their knife before they continued on their way, “But… I think I know where they are going…”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Asriel and Frisk passed into a dark area of glowing crystals and grass. The two sources of light seemed to cycle in which one was brighter, as one would soften, the other would strengthen. Asriel led Frisk off the path for a while before they found a small cave with a creek embedded near the back. Asriel huffed and sat down, “I… I need to sit down…”  
Frisk also sat down but did not pant. Asriel’s breath eventually evened out before he spoke again with a downcast gaze, “I… I’m sorry that Chara tricked you… I didn’t know…”  
Frisk hugged themselves, “Why are they trying to kill me?”  
Asriel shook his head lightly, “I don’t know. I don’t even know what Chara does anymore… other than seeing dad and Mr. Gaster almost every week. And… those traps in Snowdin…”  
Asriel then tried to give a brave smile, “But… we’ll go to someone who can help!”  
Frisk’s brow perked up in curiosity, “Who?”  
“Mom! She’s Captain of the Royal Guard and I’m sure she’ll convince Chara to not kill you!” Asriel seemed back to his cheerful self, “And then we can get you to the barrier safely!”  
Frisk gave a small, partially unsure smile, “Your mom can really help us?”  
Asriel nodded, “Yeah, I don’t think there are many monsters who can beat her! Gee, the only one I can really think of is King Sans!”  
Frisk’s eyes lit up in awe, “Really?”  
Asriel nodded his head, “Uh-huh!”

Frisk was about to reply when they saw something out of the corner of their eye. Near the creek in the cave, a small figure appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Asriel noticed the figure and smiled, “Boogie!”  
The plain-faced flower spoke, “So, you found a place to hide…”  
Asriel shook his head, “No, we’re just gonna rest here for a little bit before we head off to see mom.”  
Boogie seemed unfazed, “I see…”  
Boogie turned towards Frisk, “And I see you’ve survived so far.”  
Frisk raised a brow, “I thought you said you didn’t care?”  
Boogie nodded slightly, “Yeah. I don’t care. But following you around was something to do. Better than waiting around in the ruins of Home.”

Asriel leaned in towards Boogie, “Maybe… do you know why Chara wants to kill Frisk?!”  
Boogie turned towards Asriel, “Did Frisk do something to make Chara mad?”  
Frisk shook their head, “I didn’t do anything!”  
Boogie was about to say something before Frisk’s eyes widened, “Wait…”  
Asriel perked an eyebrow, “What is it?”  
Frisk mused, “Chara said something about… me… dying in their stead…”  
Boogie crooked their head, “It sounds like someone wants to kill Chara, then.”  
Asriel nearly shouted in shock, “Kill Chara?! Who? Why?!”  
Frisk had to cover their ears for a second from Asriel’s shout before Boogie continued, “I can’t get close to Chara. The only monster they trust is you, Asriel. So I don’t know.”  
Asriel pouted, “Gee, you aren’t very helpful…”  
“I may not care, but I don’t care to die either.”  
Asriel relaxed and frowned, “Would Chara really kill you?”  
“I barely escaped last time I got too close.”  
Asriel hugged himself, “I… I’m sorry…”  
Frisk patted Asriel’s back, “You didn’t know…”  
Asriel nodded, “But I still feel bad.”

Frisk began thinking out loud, “Who would want Chara dead?”  
Boogie chimed in, “You and Chara are humans. Any monster would want you two dead so they could eat.”  
Asriel shook his head, “Not dad, mom, or Mr. Gaster! Chara visits dad and Mr. Gaster all the time to give blood for the substitute… And… mom was the one who helped me protect Chara when they first fell down here…”  
Frisk mused another idea, “What about the king?”  
“King Sans? Why would he be after Chara?”  
Boogie butted in, “Besides filling his belly? Nothing. That ‘king’ only cares about filling his stomach now, in any way he can.”  
Asriel whined, “But… he’s… supposed to be a good guy… right? I mean, Chara said he’s dangerous to them... but he's still supposed to help monsters... right?”  
Boogie, for the first time, gave hints of warning in their voice, “If anyone down here deserves to be called a monster, he does. In the worst way imaginable.”  
“H-How?”  
Boogie looked Asriel straight in the eye and spoke bluntly, “He eats other monsters.”  
Asriel gasped and covered his mouth. Frisk’s eyes also widened in shock, yet their hands stayed still. Tiny tears budded from Asriel’s eyes. He shook his head in disbelief, “N-no… he wouldn’t really do that… would he? That’s… horrible…”  
Boogie’s already wilted petals seemed to wilt even more for a few seconds, “I saw it first hand.”  
Asriel sniffled through his tears, “Why? Why would he do that?! The underground has a substitute now and, yeah, it’s Chara’s blood, but…”  
He began to weep on Frisk’s shoulder, “I… I don’t understand…”  
Frisk began to hug Asriel lightly as Asriel continued, “I don’t understand anything anymore…”

Boogie sighed, “Look; I’m not gonna tell you two what to. Do what you want. I’ll just be… around… like all the monsters in the underground. Bye.”  
Boogie disappeared into the ground once again, leaving Asriel to continue crying in Frisk’s arms. After a few minutes, Asriel seemed to calm down. He spoke quietly, “We… we’ll go to mom… and… she’ll help us… maybe she can convince King Sans to stop eating monsters, too…”  
Frisk paused, still unsure of Asriel’s plan. They gave a deep sigh as they continued to embrace Asriel, “Yeah…”  
They sat there in silence. Whatever flaws Asriel’s plan had, Frisk knew it was the only plan they had.


	8. Past Dealings

Delving deeper into Waterfall gave Chara time to think over their current situation. However, their mind drifted back to a memory, one they always hung in the back of their mind.

Five years ago, mere months after they had fallen into the underground, Chara walked through Waterfall alone to Riverperson’s dock. They were nervous, their eyes shifted, and they shook slightly. Once they rang the bell at Riverperson’s dock, they felt immensely better, as though the bell spirited away their stress. Chara smiled at Riverperson as soon as their boat came to a halt, “Greetings, Riverperson.”  
Riverperson lightly bowed, “Tra la la. Greetings, Chara. I see you are without little Asriel today.”  
Chara’s smile dropped to a frown, “Yes. I need to go to Hotland.”  
Riverperson turned forward in their boat, “Once more to Hotland? Step aboard, quickly if you please. I sense monsters nearby.”  
Chara instinctually turned their gaze behind them for a moment. No monster within their vision. With their curiosity sated, they stepped onto the boat carefully. They spoke once more in a more hushed tone, “Thank you once again, Riverperson.”  
Riverperson seemed to ignore Chara’s thanks as they turned forwards, “Tra la la, to Hotland we ride.”

Riverperson’s boat left the dock smoothly as always. Chara sighed as they sat down and pulled out a bulky cell phone out of their pocket. They turned their gaze towards Riverperson, “Would it be rude to make a phone call while we travel?”  
Riverperson called back to Chara calmly, “Tra la la, call ahead, Chara.”  
Chara raised their brow at Riverperson but brushed off their suspicion. They dialed a number, minor struggles in their key presses from memory, before they put the phone to their ear. After a few seconds, they spoke, “It’s me. I am on my way.”  
Dr. Gaster’s voice echoed through the other side, “Good. Everything is ready. I guarantee you will not fall unconscious, unlike the previous few extractions.”  
Chara lightly bit their tongue before they instinctually made a quip. They paused before they spoke, “…Hopefully not.”  
Gaster chuckled, Chara could feel his smirk curl by the tone of his voice, “Such doubt in your voice. I would hope that you-“  
Chara heard another voice through the phone, one they did not recognize, “You hope for what?”

Chara heard Gaster nearly gasp and drop the phone. It clattered onto the lab’s linoleum floor as Gaster spoke nervously, “M-my king! What a surprise…I did not receive notice you were visiting.”  
Chara’s eyes widened and they stifled a surprised gasp. Toriel, Asgore, and Gaster all had given them warning about the king of all monsters. They had to be careful. Their first instinct was to hang up the phone, but something inside begged them to stay on the line. Their contemplation was broken by the voice of King Sans through the phone. His tone was direct, but hints of dark curiosity bled through, “Who are you talking to?”  
Gaster’s tone slowly became more composed, “One of my newer hires, currently working on improving the Core’s reach.”  
There was a small pause before Chara could hear Sans’s dark curiosity become more obvious, “Let me talk to them.”  
Chara heard the phone being picked up, “… Yes… sir. Here.”

The phone transferred hands, Sans’s voice was now much closer to Chara’s ear. His voice dipped, a purposefully dark tone. Much like Gaster’s voice, Chara could feel a smirk curl on the other side, “Hello.”  
Chara froze as a shiver ran down their spine. They unconsciously sat up straight on Riverperson’s boat. Was it due to fear or knowledge of authority figure, Chara did not know. They hesitated to speak, “G-greetings…”  
“Do you know who I am?”  
“Yes… King Sans…”  
“What’s your name?”  
Chara’s already pale face paled further. They could not give their name, but that was all that came to them. They racked their brain in a few milliseconds to find a name to use. One came to them after what seemed far too long. Chara spoke, their nervousness still apparent, “Ruma, sir. I… started work here a few months ago.”  
“Is that so? Where are you?”  
“I-in the Core.”  
“Where in the Core? What section?”  
Gaster’s voice chimed in, “They’re doing some dangerous work right now-“  
Sans’s voice turned away from the phone as he spoke in a low growl, “I asked _them_. Not you.”  
Sans returned his attention to Chara’s voice, “Well?”  
Chara spoke with more confidence, “The northernmost corridor, I’m working with a few others on making calculations to extend-“  
Sans interrupted them abruptly and with a strict tone, “That’s enough. Get back to work.”

The phone hung up abruptly, leaving Chara stunned in silence. They shivered and collapsed on Riverperson’s boat. They instinctually curled inwards on themselves as Riverperson’s cloak turned back toward them, “Is there trouble?”  
Chara took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. They then slowly uncurled and sat up on the boat, “Yes.”  
Riverperson turned forward, “Your stop is soon.”  
Chara settled on the boat and spoke, “If it is not too much trouble… may… I stay on your boat for a little while longer?”  
Riverperson crooked their hood, “Tra la la. If I am not called away… perhaps I could stay…”  
Chara gave a small smile, “Thank you, Riverperson.”

Riverperson’s boat slowly approached the Hotland drop-off before it came to a stop. Chara stayed on the boat for about five minutes before their cell phone vibrated silently. They quickly answered the phone, “Hello?”  
They heard Gaster’s voice, slightly strained, “It is safe now... Come quickly.”  
The phone immediately hung up before Chara could ask any questions. Chara sighed as they returned their phone to their pocket. They slowly stood on Riverperson’s boat, which was not affected by Chara’s adjustments. Chara turned their gaze to Riverperson and spoke politely, “Thank you, Riverperson.”  
Riverperson turned forward, “Tra la la, will I see your return trip with your father in a few hours?”  
Chara nodded, “If all goes well.”  
Chara hopped off of the boat onto the solid ground of the Hotland dock. They gave their goodbye to Riverperson before the two went their separate ways.

Chara entered a particular room in Gaster’s lab, one that held the heavy scent of blood hung in the air. Their own blood. They saw Gaster leaning on a desk with his right hand. His left hand clutched his face, just below his left eye. He scowled and seemed to grit his teeth as small grunts escaped him. Asgore was next to him with his hands grasping the other. Asgore appeared nervous and concerned, with constant fidgets with various parts of his own body. The two noticed Chara enter the room. Gaster’s right hand clenched as he spoke, disdain and stresses laced his voice, “Lock the door. Now.”  
Chara raised a brow at Asgore, who responded with a silent nod. Chara sighed before they complied with Gaster’s demand. The door creaked closed before Chara turned the lock. They turned back to see Gaster take a deep sigh and stand tall. He took his hand from his face to reveal a scar that cut from the bottom of his left eye to the bottom of his skull. Unlike the other, which was on the top of Gaster’s right eyes to the top of his skull, this was one Chara had not seen before. And from the dust in Gaster’s hand, Chara could only guess it was new. A fresh wound.

Gaster spoke, some pain still in his voice, “I am sure you can guess how I received this new scar… and you would be correct.”  
Chara gritted their teeth behind their lips and did not respond. Gaster glared at them, “We made this deal because it was convenient for both of us. You have another _protector_ , while I am able to give my people a way to survive.”  
Asgore frown deepened, “Sir… please-“  
Gaster turned his glare towards Asgore, “Be. Silent.”  
Asgore shrunk away from Gaster and stood in a more submissive stance as Gaster continued to speak to Chara, “But things are now far worse than I feared. _He suspects your existence_. I can only imagine protecting you for a few short years before he either finds you or his rage towards me eclipses my usefulness to him. We need to make an addition to our little deal.”  
Chara scowled, but their tone remained calm, “I am listening.”  
The poison in Gaster’s voice subsided slightly, “Including yours, we have six human souls out of the king’s sight, and inevitably, his stomach. If you want to live to see the surface once more, you must bring me the remaining two souls. In exchange, I will continue to keep the glutton of a king from finding you, but for only five years.”  
Gaster smirked, “Should you fail… I will have no choice but to use your soul for the barrier.”  
Asgore spoke up, “B-but sir! There is no way of knowing if one or even two humans could fall within the next few decades! Let alone two in five years!”  
Gaster turned his smirk over towards Gaster, “Then I suppose they will have to be lucky, now won’t they?”  
Chara revealed their gritted teeth, ready to retort, but their jaw fell slack. Their mouth closed and relaxed. They brought their right arm up to grasp their left arm in a half-hug. They turned their gaze away and spoke quietly, “…Understood.”  
Gaster’s smirk faded to a neutral expression as their attention turned back to Chara. Chara continued, “I will… find the next two humans that fall… I will lead them here…”  
They increased their grasp on their own arm, their eyes now hidden from Gaster’s gaze, “And… I will kill them… to give you their souls…”  
Asgore approached Chara, “Chara… you don’t have-“  
Gaster interrupted him, “-Then it is a deal.”  
Gaster walked towards Chara, almost blocked by Asgore. It only took a single glare towards Asgore for the assistant to back off. Gaster finished his approach to Chara with his right hand open for a handshake. Chara seemed to calm down during his approach and quickly grasped his hand before Asgore could protest once more. Asgore stammered through his words, nervous looks both towards his adoptive child and his boss. He soon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, “We will need to inform Toriel of this… you know how she is…”  
Gaster let go of Chara’s hand and gave a light smirk, “But first, it is time for the next scheduled blood extraction.”  
Asgore sighed, defeated, “Yes, sir…”

Chara’s mind turned away from that memory as they continued to walk through Waterfall. They brought their hand into their view; the right hand that shook Gaster’s. They clenched it while they clenched their own teeth. They let their hand drift back towards their back, to float above their hidden knife. Only one more soul to collect, and the deal would be complete.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Asriel and Frisk sat still until the two of them were calm once again. Frisk’s sweater was heavily stained with tears in addition to the more stubborn of the monster dust. Asriel’s eyes were puffy and red, but the tears had stopped. They both knew they had to press onward. Frisk helped Asriel to his feet, where he wobbled and leaned against a wall to stay standing. Frisk spoke in concern, “Are you okay?”  
Asriel sighed, “Maybe… I do need to take my evening dose… early…”  
Asriel reached into his pocket to reveal his medicine. He quickly fished out two pills but hesitated as he held them. He whined slightly, “I… I always knew this was Chara’s blood… and they always made me take it. But I don’t want to take it…”  
Frisk frowned, “But, you need it, right?”  
Asriel mirrored the frown, “Golly, I don’t know. I lasted so long on snails… maybe I still can?”  
Frisk gave an unsure look, “Maybe… just in case?”  
Asriel gave a defeated sigh, “Okay…”  
Asriel swallowed the pills without another complaint before he shuffled the container back into his pocket. He slowly pushed against the wall in order to stand tall once more. He wobbled for a second before he caught himself. Frisk approached, “Do you need help?”  
Asriel shook his head, “No, I should be okay now...”  
Asriel smiled, “C’mon, we still have a while to go before we’re at mom’s house.”

Frisk nodded before the two continued on into Waterfall. They made their way past the crystal fields to a few winding paths of glowing grasses. Mushrooms of a similar glow occasionally were in the way or off to the side if not trampled over. Frisk frowned at the trampled mushrooms silently but kept moving along with Asriel. Once they were nearly through the glowing grasses, they heard a strange noise in the far distance behind them. A scream or terror, high pitched, but still frightful. Both Asriel’s fur and Frisk’s hair stood on end and the two ran far from the noise after it echoed throughout the cavern. They entered a tunnel area which contained two waterfalls side by side each other, slowly cascading down into an abyss past the large walk area of the tunnel. Frisk and Asriel stopped between the two waterfalls to catch their breath. Asriel whimpered, “Is… is it gone?”  
Frisk turned their gaze backwards towards the cavern but saw nothing but the waterfall and the water cascading around various colored rocks from brown to the cavern’s blue. Frisk looked back at Asriel with a relaxed sigh, “I don’t think it knew we were there...”  
Asriel sat against the wall of the cavern with his eyes closed, “Thank goodness. That was scary… I don’t know how Chara can be out here for so long…”  
Frisk relaxed but remained standing with a nervous laugh.

As the two caught their breath, Frisk heard the water behind them shift. They went to turn, but before they could, they were forced to the ground face first. They landed with a thud, too surprised to make a sound until they collided with the stone floor. Asriel raised a confused brow and spoke, “Frisk?”  
He opened his eyes quickly in Frisk’s direction. He gasped at what he saw and shouted in anger, “Chara!”  
Towering above Frisk was Chara, holding them down by twisting their arms back and with a knife to the back of their neck. Chara was drenched in water, nearly all of the dust that coated the clothes before was now washed away. Chara had a focused smirk upon their lips, satisfied their plan worked. They watched as Frisk wriggled in attempts to break free, but Chara tightened their grasp on Frisk’s arms and pushed them towards Frisk’s body; locking the torso on the ground. Frisk could only flail their legs and grunt as they said nothing to their captor.

Chara’s smirk dipped to disdain once Asriel shouted. They turned their currently normal eyes to their best friend and shushed him with the hand that held their knife, “Rei, please be quiet.”  
Asriel stood slowly, “Not until you tell me what’s going on!”  
Chara visibly shook and turned their gaze past Asriel, “I will explain everything back at the lab. In the meantime, we must be quiet.”  
“But you’ll kill Frisk!”  
Chara put away their knife for a second to grab Frisk by the hair and arms. Frisk winced as Chara dragged them up to their feet under a tight grip. Chara sighed and soften their tone and gaze towards Asriel, “Asriel… do you want to see the stars?”  
Asriel reeled their head back slightly, he crooked their brow with a befuddled expression. His mouth hung half-open in response to the question. He raised his voice in anger, “What does that have to do with anything?!”  
His voice echoed far throughout the cavern. Chara froze and visibly shook at the echoes. Their hair stood on end. Immediately their eyes went to the tunnel beyond Asriel. Before they could speak, the group heard a distant growl echo from the tunnel beyond. Frisk stopped squirming at this point and looked towards the darkness. Confusion washed over their face that slowly dipped to fear as they felt Chara shaking through their grasp.

Stomps began to sound in the cavern in the direction of the growl, partially accompanied by the clangs of metal. Chara stepped backwards before they released one arm from Frisk, though kept tight on one of Frisk’s arms and spoke quietly, “Run. Now.”  
Asriel turned towards Chara and complied. Frisk went to turn and run but was forced to run along the cavern as Chara ran. But still, the stomps grew closer. They paused for a few seconds before a loud, bestial roar sounded from the cavern behind as the group moved onto the glowing grasses. Asriel instinctually screamed and Frisk winced. Chara drew their knife and growled, “Damnit, she has our scent.”  
Frisk blinked in surprise, “You know what’s chasing us?!”  
Chara’s gaze turned backwards as the stomps grew both in speed and sound. In mere moments, a new figure emerged from the tunnel. The figure easily towered in size to the group of children, easily twice their size while hunched over on almost all fours. The first thing the group noticed was that fire swirled violently around the figure, but did not burn its white fur. It revealed the figure. Its fur had sections where it was matted, disheveled, cut off from bite or claw marks, or discolored by dust and various other minerals. Sections of purple armor clung to the figure’s form, the pauldrons remained on the shoulders only scuffed. Meanwhile, any underclothing was in tatters that hung from the form carelessly. Bits of metal boots or gloves were clung by mats in the fur, broken by the form’s unkempt but still sharp claws. The top of the form held long, white horns that curved upwards and inwards. The figure had long ears, much like Asriel’s, and its eyes were glowing red. The figure’s mouth barred teeth with a low growl that exhumed hot breath past the long, sharp teeth stained partially with monster dust and hints of human blood.

Frisk nearly tripped as the figure revealed itself. The fire lit up the entire section, a sun to the candle that was the glowing grasses. Asriel stared in horror at the figure, disbelief as well. Asriel shifted his gaze between the figure and Chara. He cried, “Chara… is… is that?...”  
Chara nodded, “Yes, Asriel. That is Mother.”


	9. Family Infighting

Asriel’s lips quivered upon hearing Chara’s words. Tears began to leak down his fur and his hands covered his face. He whimpered, “No… that… can’t be mom…”  
Chara’s eyes lit with fire, their expression still neutral, “It is her.”  
Toriel looked around in the dark, her nostrils flared as she sniffed the air. He eyes quickly fell upon the group before she locked her gaze on Chara and Frisk. Drool began to pool and slowly seep from her mouth. She leaned forward as her constant growl became louder. She roared as she lowered herself onto her hands and feet and charged towards Frisk and Chara, the flames still floating around her. Chara pushed Frisk to the side before they ran in the opposite direction with Asriel in tow. Frisk yelped before they landed hands first in a pile of rocks. Chara and Asriel still stood on their feet, Asriel frazzled and scared, Chara focused and determined. Toriel’s head shifted between the two humans, but her eyes settled on Frisk as they were still recovering from being pushed aside. Chara whispered to Asriel, “Stay low and hidden.”

Before Asriel could protest, Chara charged at Toriel and summoned five of their red knives. Toriel readied one of her arms to slash at Frisk but soon felt two knives plunge into her back. Her arm dropped back to the ground and her eyes widened. She roared in anguish before she turned towards Chara. Her eyes locked onto the determined human, now angry. Three of the flames immediately flew towards Chara. Chara jumped and rolled out of the way, the explosion of flames hit just behind them. Asriel yelled out in concern, “Chara!”  
Toriel turned her eyes towards Asriel for a second, but her eyes quickly returned to Chara as they had rolled towards her. She readied an arm to pin down the human child, but Chara smirked and sent three of their knives into the arm. Toriel howled once more before her hand slammed into the ground. Chara dodged by a hair; they easily felt the wind the slam created. They stood and saw Frisk attempt to sneak around the fight towards Asriel. Chara growled and called out to them, “Stay hidden, you idiot!”  
Frisk looked towards Chara. Their gaze was confused at first, but then they saw Toriel turn towards them. Frisk paled and ran toward Asriel’s hiding place. Toriel summoned two more flames and they flew towards Frisk. Frisk screamed and fell in the center of the path of glowing grasses. Toriel’s fire flew just above them, singeing their hair. Frisk whimpered on the ground and curled into a ball, not knowing how much of the flames hit them.

Chara muttered a, “Damnit,” under their breath before they summoned five knives and sent them into Toriel’s back. Toriel growled and turned back towards Chara. Chara smirked as they widened their stance silently. They raised their free hand towards Toriel and gave her a beckoning motion with a mocking smirk. Toriel roared and sent larger torrents of fire towards Chara from multiple angles. Chara’s smirk dropped as they dodged most of them, but one flew past their knees and singed them lightly. Chara hissed and dropped to their knees for a second. They saw Toriel charge them the second they hit the ground. They quickly stood just as Toriel loomed before Chara. She went to grab Chara, but Chara summoned more knives. This time, Chara aimed for her neck. The angle was difficult with her pauldrons still clinging onto her, but Chara managed to pierce Toriel’s neck. Toriel gasped and clutched her neck, winces of pain came from her. She closed in on herself, her baubles of flame seemed to disperse, leaving only the glowing grasses to light the cavern. Her eyes closed, as she appeared to concentrate on herself. Chara appeared pleased with their work thus far.

Frisk used Toriel being distracted by Chara to move to Asriel’s hiding spot. Asriel immediately hugged Frisk and wept quietly, “I... I thought you got really hurt!”  
Frisk patted their burned section of hair near the top of the back of their head, “I’ll be okay…”  
Asriel was about to respond until he heard Toriel’s winces of pain. His eyes immediately were drawn back to his supposed mother. They saw Chara raise their hand slightly and summon a large number of knives, all aimed at various parts of Toriel’s head and neck. Asriel called out, “Chara! Wait!”  
Chara turned their gaze towards Asriel, “If I wait, she will recover.”  
Asriel began to move from his hiding place, “But… you said that’s mom…”  
Chara’s eyes widened, they shouted forcefully, “Asriel, stay hidden!”  
Asriel flinched at Chara’s words. This caused him to trip over a small rock in the near darkness. Chara’s first instinct was to go over to him to see if he was alright, but they stopped themselves. They had to finish this. Asriel sobbed on the ground, “Chara… you never used to be like this. Sure, you were always a little harsh, but never like this! What happened to you?”  
Chara paused, their expression deflated slightly. They turned towards Toriel and saw wisps of green magic over the wounds on her arms and torso. As the magic flowed into the wounds, the wounds slowly began to close. Chara bit their lip before they responded to Asriel, “I did what I needed to survive down here. I trained with Mother, I learned to build traps, and made deals with Dr. Gaster.”  
Their gaze softened, “All so I could protect myself, and you.”  
Asriel’s gaze softened as well, “Me?”  
Chara turned back towards Toriel and saw her wounds were mostly closed. They readied their knives as they spoke, “Yes, Rei. This has all been for you.”

Chara sent the knives towards Toriel’s head. But Toriel already began to move as the knives flew towards her head and throat. Many of the knives deflected off of her pauldrons, but some found purchase around her jaw and upper torso. She roared in anguish. Her eyes snapped open before they set on Chara once more. Chara readied themselves for a physical attack. Instead, Torrents of fire appeared next Chara, transforming into pillars of flame. Chara had no choice but to be still to protect themselves from the heat. As soon as the flames dispersed, Toriel’s arm swung into Chara, knocking them over. Chara slid through some of the grass, slightly bruised by the impact. Asriel whimpered Chara’s name and tried to stand. Frisk helped Asriel to his feet as Asriel sniffled, “I have to help Chara. They may have tried to kill you, but they don’t deserve this!’  
Frisk helped Asriel onto the rock pile that served as his hiding place. By then, Toriel had turned towards Chara and loomed over them. She reached for Chara and picked them up with her left arm and slowly drew Chara towards her mouth. Chara struggled in Toriel’s grasp but kept their eyes aglow, ready to use their magic. Asriel cried out as Chara was picked up, “No! Stop it, mom!”  
Asriel quickly lobbed a ball of fire from his hands, small, but still fire. It landed on Toriel’s right arm. Toriel paused and looked towards her arm, lowering her prey from near her mouth. The flame clearly hit Toriel, burning bits of her fur, but did not seem powerful enough to burn her skin. Chara shouted towards Asriel, “Save your energy, Rei! I can handle this!”  
Asriel summoned two more flames and shouted, “No, you can’t!”  
He then tossed them towards Toriel, one hit her arm once more, and another hit her torso. Toriel huffed in annoyance before she summoned five fireballs and sent two of them towards Asriel. Asriel panicked before Frisk jumped out of the way, with Asriel in tow. They both landed in the glowing grasses, relatively safe from the inferno sent towards them.

Toriel returned her attention to her caught prey. Her mouth began to water in anticipation, drool slowly dribbled down her fur. Focus grew in Chara’s eyes as Toriel drew them closer to her maw, their eyes still alight with magic. Toriel’s maw opened wide as Chara’s head slowly came into range of her teeth. Her breath was hot, and Chara could see her tongue reach for its first taste. Chara would not allow it. Chara summoned two knives within Toriel’s maw and sent them through the back of her mouth. Toriel howled in pain before she dropped Chara to the ground. Chara’s physical knife clattered into the grass some ways from Chara as they fell on their stomach. Chara quickly stood. They decided to ignore their physical knife; they had a chance, after all. They summoned five more knives, bigger than the previous ones. Chara seemed to strain from this. Asriel’s eyes widened in realization, “Chara! Don’t!”  
This time Chara spared no words before they sent the knives deep into Toriel’s neck. The force of the cuts caused her to be beheaded. Her head fell to the ground, her body slumped over as well before it crashed into the ground. The red from her eyes faded, as did the remaining baubles of fire. Asriel and Frisk, who were now standing, could only cover their mouth in shock at the scene. Asriel appeared to gag at the sight of his mother’s severed head.

Toriel’s form slowly turned into dust, revealing her soul, still holding onto its form. Chara looked towards the soul with a solemn frown and a sincere tone, “Sorry, Mother. We both know I had to do it…”  
The soul, as if responding to Chara’s words, slowly began to crack. Within seconds, it shattered. It left naught a trace of Toriel other than the dust of her corpse.

For a few moments, there was silence in the cavern, deafening compared to what had just transpired. Before long, Asriel’s voice could be heard in a whisper of disbelief, “How… could you?”  
Chara responded quickly as they retrieved their physical knife. Their voice blunt, but sorrowful, “I had to, Rei. She had lost herself, and would have done anything to regain her sanity.”  
The glow to Chara’s eyes waned, soon revealing their natural eyes as they spoke and sheathed their knife, “Even devour her adopted child.”  
Asriel dropped to his knees, his voice steadily grew louder “But… she was mom… right? Why? How did this happen to her?!”

Chara began to approach as they recounted what they knew, “For a time, she also benefited from the substitute. However, she decided to slowly give her entire supply away to other, less fortunate monsters.”  
Frisk backed away slowly as Chara approached. They were nervous Chara was coming for them, despite the fact Chara’s eyes locked onto Asriel. As they continued backward, they tripped over a small pile of rocks. They collapsed to the ground with an “Oof!” They groaned as they opened their eyes; they saw one of Chara’s red knives at their throat, ready to cut into it upon a single move to get up. They looked over at Chara, expecting a glare from them, but they saw Chara’s focus was still on Asriel. Chara kneeled down and hugged Asriel. They spoke in sorrowful tones, “I tried to tell her to stop, as did Father, but we both know how she is.”  
Asriel wanted to push Chara away after what they had seen of them today but he found himself unable to move with that thought. His tears paused for a moment, his brain slow to process everything that had transpired. Asriel then moved his arms around Chara and pulled them into a tight embrace, mirroring the one Chara was giving them. Asriel’s tears to flow began once more, and he sobbed deeply into Chara’s left shoulder. Chara smiled, their eyes closed, but still focused on the knife that pinned Frisk to the ground. They rubbed the back of Asriel’s head tenderly, slowly. Nothing other than Asriel’s deep sobs could be heard throughout the cavern.

 

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The minutes it took for Asriel to finish his sobs felt like an eternity to the two humans. Still, Chara was content with hugging him, even if it meant their guard was down for a few short moments. As his sobs slowed, Chara’s guard was regained. Chara opened their eyes, their gaze turned towards Frisk. Fear crawled down Frisk’s back, but they were still unable to move due to Chara’s knife. Soon, Asriel pulled away from the embrace and wiped his tears. Chara stood and left Asriel to sort his tears. They approached Frisk, who’s fear increased with Chara’s every step. Chara grabbed Frisk by the hair before their knife disappeared. Chara pulled Frisk up by their hair, forcing them to stand. Frisk took a few steps to regain their balance, but as soon as they regained it, they saw another red knife at their throat. By this time, Asriel had recovered, Frisk was standing once more. Asriel saw the knife and spoke in a solemn, and hoarse tone, “Chara…”  
Chara stood next to Frisk and looked towards Asriel. They spoke calmly, “I need to do this, Rei.”  
Asriel stood, “But, why? Why can’t you just explain it to me?”  
Chara looked down and put their hands in their jacket pockets, “Asriel, do you want to see the stars? Not the ones we can see here in Waterfall, the real stars from the night sky above the ground.”  
Asriel blinked, confused and caught off-guard by such an innocent question. He calmed down and fiddled with his fingers, “Well… golly, Chara… we can’t…”  
“But, what if we could?”  
Asriel hesitated, unsure of his own answer, “Well… maybe? Why are you asking me this?”  
Chara put a hand on Frisk’s left shoulder, “Because with their soul, that dream will be possible.”  
Asriel appeared to be more confused than shocked, “I… I don’t understand…”  
Chara began to calmly explain, “It was the power of seven human souls that created the barrier that traps us underground. Only with an equal power will the barrier be shattered.”  
Chara began to firmly grasp Frisk’s shoulder, causing them to wince as Chara continued, “Dr. Gaster has so far collected six souls. With Frisk’s… we will have seven.”  
Frisk gave a small gasp to themselves. They had a small shock across their face as a realization dawned upon them, echoing back to something Chara had said before; “ _So, I will have my mirror die in my stead_ ”. Asriel spoke in worry, “So you’re going to kill them for it?!”  
“It is the only way to retrieve a soul.”  
“But… there has-“  
Chara’s tone became curter, “There is no other way Asriel. You are looking at the only two unclaimed human souls in the underground. Either I die, or my mirror does. End of story.”

Asriel fell silent. Chara let go of Frisk’s shoulder and sighed, “Come. We will have to take the long way back to the lab. Mother’s death will most likely have stirred those around the dump and those that remained in the residential area of Waterfall.”  
Chara’s red knife drifted to behind Frisk’s neck before Chara pushed them forward. Frisk yelped but kept on their feet. Chara spoke bluntly, with no semblance of compassion, “Stay in my sight, and I will make it quick upon our return.”

Asriel followed behind closely and silently. The three of them said nothing as they traveled through Waterfall. They found themselves on a path with crystals fading in and out as the only source of light. Chara pulled Frisk close as they walked through this area. When the group was some ways into the area, they heard an anguished cry from near in front of them. Nothing could be seen in the dark, but they heard flesh being torn into. Chara quickly stepped back and covered Asriel’s mouth while they simultaneously covered Frisk’s, stopping the two of them from immediately screaming. Chara tugged on Asriel’s sleeve in the direction of a hiding place, behind some large rocks. Chara forced Frisk to silently walk with them as Chara guided Asriel quickly and quietly into the newfound hiding spot. All the while, the group could hear sounds of something loudly chewing flesh nearby. While settling into place in their hiding spot, Asriel knocked a small rock and it made a small noise. The chewing noise stopped immediately. Chara’s eyes set upon Asriel with a small glare, but they readied themselves all the same. They set Frisk beside them and went to draw their knife. A voice spoke in dark curiosity, “ _Who’s there_?”

Chara froze upon hearing the voice. Their eyes widened, true fear set upon their face. They began to shake, and their already pale face paled more. Asriel and Frisk looked at Chara in confusion. Chara saw their confusion and beckoned their ears close. They only whispered one word with a quiver in their voice, “S-sans.”  
Frisk’s eyes widened; the being even Chara warned them of was near. Frisk began to pale as well. Asriel appeared worried but did not pale. That is, not until he heard footsteps from Sans’s direction. Sans began to speak, “No joke? Guess you saw, huh?”  
The three of them didn’t know what to do. Chara bit their lip and quickly racked their brain for any solution to this problem. None came, at least none with all three of them getting out alive. They heard Sans speak again, “Oh well, too bad for yo-“  
Sans paused, his footsteps stopped. He began to sniff the air a few times before he chuckled and spoke one word, “H U M A N.”


	10. Royal Pains

A new glow came from the direction of the King of All Monsters. A light blue glow pierced through the darkness, much more vibrant in its glow than the gems of Waterfall. A glow that matched Papyrus’s warning. Yet, the eye it emanated from had yet to fall upon the three. It seemed to slowly scan the area as the king’s boot-like footfalls echoed throughout the cavern. Searching. Seeking. Craving.

Chara shook quietly, their hand still hovered above their sheathed knife. Their mind raced for the possible answer. Should they fight? No. The risk was far too great. The second that eye fell upon them, they were the king’s next meal. Could they run? Perhaps, but Sans could potentially catch one if not all of them with probable ease. If he caught Frisk, then all of their efforts would be for naught. They couldn’t hide forever either. The longer they lingered, the closer the king would be on fully catching their scent. Chara gritted their teeth; they knew the only reason he hadn’t found them yet was the dust diluting their scent.  
Asriel tried to speak, but Chara instinctually put a finger to his mouth to quietly shush him. They blinked, now snapped out of their fear. They saw the rock Asriel had knocked slightly, alerting the king of their presence. Chara’s eyes widened in realization. This could be the solution. A distraction. They quickly went to grab the rock but froze upon Sans’ voice once again echo in the cavern, his tone annoyed, “C’mon, neither of us want to play this game. Come out and it won’t hurt. _Much_.”  
Chara shook once more, this time within Asriel’s view. Asriel carefully put a hand on Chara’s shoulder. Chara blinked and once more broke from their trance. They mouthed, ‘Get ready’ to Asriel. Asriel nodded in response. Chara carefully touched the rock and picked it up gently. No noise was made, much to Chara’s relief. Chara held the rock and readied their arm backward. They faced away from the encroaching king, in the direction of their fight with Toriel. Chara quickly threw the rock in that direction. The initial impact wasn’t loud, as though it had landed in some grasses, but the bounce echoed through the cavern. The blue light locked onto the direction of the sound. It was only visible for a second before it vanished in an instant. Chara spoke quietly and pulled at Frisk and Asriel, “Go. Go!”

The three quickly removed themselves from their hiding place and ran in the direction of Hotland. In the darkness, Frisk stepped into a pile of dust and winced. Chara quickly shushed them and forced them to continue onwards. It wasn’t until the three made it to one of the bridges that they all took a chance to breathe. Chara turned their gaze backward as they attempted to catch their breath. Nobody came. Chara breathed a sigh of relief before they crumpled to the floor of the bridge. Asriel noticed this and spoke out, “Chara?”  
Chara sat on their knees and shook. A strange smile dawned on their face before a nervous laugh quietly poured from them. Frisk felt a chill down their spine and stepped away from Chara nervously, unsure of them. After a few steps, Chara noticed this and seemed to snap out of their strange state. Their strange expression replaced with a glare in a near instant. Three knives appeared around Frisk, two within their sight. Frisk let out a worried noise before they stopped their steps and stood stiffly in attention. Chara’s voice faltered slightly, but they still managed to keep their menacing tone, “Don’t you dare.”  
Chara slowly stood. Asriel tried to interject, “They were jus-“  
Asriel cut himself off as he saw Chara. They were still shaken. Their face partially red with tears welling in their eyes. Even Frisk was partially disarmed by this. Chara quickly wiped the tears from their face and spoke, their voice more together, “We will keep moving, but you will stay close.”  
Frisk lowered their head and hugged themselves. They nodded silently to Chara. Asriel perked up once more, “Are you… sure there really is no other way?”  
Chara, seemingly recovered, spoke bluntly, “There is no other way. We cannot go through the barrier. We must break it.”  
Asriel seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before Chara began to walk. They spoke gently, “Let us continue. That diversion will not last for long.”  
Asriel nodded before the three of them continued onwards back to Hotland.

 

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Boogie had been keeping a close eye on the two humans and goat-monster. Not for any concern, but merely for something to do. It was preferable than waiting in the ruins of Home. Papyrus’s company could only do good for so long, especially for a monster like Boogie. Soulless. Unable to feel love. A husk of what once was.  
Boogie had become cautious at the sound of the king’s voice. One voice he knew all too well. He distanced himself a fair bit from the king, erring on the side of caution. Boogie sighed, “They’re dead… oh well…it was bound to happen.”  
He had to find some way to entertain himself once more. Back to the ruins, maybe? After Frisk leaving, Papyrus would probably not let Boogie leave. He didn’t like to be alone.

Before Boogie could think of any other ideas, his thoughts were disturbed. A rock bounced into the grasses near him and then landed on rocks. Boogie tilted his head curiously. His eyes locked onto the rock. Where did it come from? But something new came as well; a glow of light blue, one which locked onto Boogie. Boogie’s eyes widened, but before they could react, they were ripped from the ground by a bony hand in black, fingerless gloves. Boogie began to shake. He knew exactly who this was. He turned his gaze to the being that plucked him and found his captor wearing a long, navy cloak. It was a simple cloak that covered most of the wearer’s clothing, and it also had the delta symbol as its clasp. The cloak had some smaller tears in places and dust scattered through the cloak, mostly on the bottom, near the clasp and near the center-middle of the cloak. The hood was current up, but the features were fully seen due to the being’s left eye aglow in blue light. A rounder skeletal face, with a literal sharp grin, one that already had dust upon it. King Sans.

Sans’s smile dropped slightly as he realized what he had caught, “You’re barely a snack. I thought I smelled a feast.”  
Boogie shook within Sans’s grasp, barely able to speak. Sans mused, “Maybe… you know where it hid?”  
Boogie pointed a leaf back towards the direction Sans came from. Sans turned his head back a moment before his grin turned to annoyance. He teleported with Boogie in hand back to the general area he was in before. He slowly began to sniff the area before he let out an annoyed ‘tch’ sound. Sans muttered, “It got away…”  
He then turned his attention to Boogie, “Which means, you helped it escape.”  
Boogie shook his head, his eyes still wide with terror, “The rock came flying to me! It wasn’t me!”  
Sans gave a low chuckle, “Then it used you as a distraction. So that’s why I haven’t found it yet. It’s actually intelligent.”  
Sans then returned to a frown, “And it left you to die.”  
Boogie exclaimed in worry, “Wait! I can help you find them! I can help you get both of them!”  
Sans’s sockets widened for a second before he bellowed over in laughter, “ _Both? There’s two of them_?!”  
A wicked grin dawned on his face, drool began to seep between his teeth, “A feast fit for a king.”  
Boogie became more submissive, “So, I’ll tell you where they’re going, and you’ll free me, right?”  
Sans scoffed, “Why would I need you? They can’t hide from me. I can find the main course without your help.”  
Boogie shook even more as Sans continued, “For now… I’ll help myself to an appetizer.”  
Boogie’s eyes seemed to glaze over, not fully focused on what was currently happening. As though he was seeing this and something else. He quivered, “No... Not again. Please-“

With one bite, all but a small section of Boogie’s stem vanished into Sans’s gullet. He swallowed quickly, but he quickly frowned. Dissatisfied. He looked and the hand that once held the flower and let out a ‘tch’ sound before he spoke, “Barely a bite, and no soul. Useless weed.”  
Sans turned and walked through the cavern towards the prey he was eating before. His cloak fluttered about, revealing his plain white shirt and black baggy sweatpants beneath. However, the white shirt was now a light shade of grey from splatters and drops of monster dust all over the shirt. Especially the chest area. He knew his prey would already be dust, he had already taken a good number of bites when it was still flesh. When he saw the dust pile, there was no surprise in his gaze. But it only was for a moment. Upon further examination, he saw a shoe print in the dust, one unlike the black boots he wore. This was more akin to a running shoe. He raised a ‘brow’ at the size of the print, “Another kid?”  
He shrugged before he flashed a wicked grin, “Too bad for them.”  
He slowly sniffed the air around the dust pile, only finding hints of human scent and the overwhelming stench of monster dust. He frowned in annoyance but then shrugged it off, “I’ll find those humans soon enough.”  
He then disappeared in an instant.

 

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Dr. Gaster was very far behind on his work. He should have had this substitute prepared days ago, and yet he was unable to due to a delay in extracting blood from Chara. He mused, soon he wouldn’t have to worry about this anymore. Either Chara would bring back the soul of the new human that fell, or Chara would sacrifice their own soul. Another option loomed in his mind, one that would bring doom; if the king would reach both of them first. He shook his skull of that thought. Asgore was watching the cameras for him while he prepared this substitute. There was little chance. All that was left for him was to wait for the last pills to finish so he could deliver it to Papyrus.  
He frowned at the thought of Papyrus; the ‘lost’ prince of the underground. To the average monster, one day he disappeared from the palace without a trace. Many thought him to be dead, even Gaster thought this for a time. That is until he tried to examine the ruins of Home. He decided to think back on that encounter. He had little else to do other than wait, after all.

After collecting three human souls, Gaster had noticed a pattern. The corpses of these humans were always found somewhere in Snowdin Forest, the souls thankfully rescued from being eaten by the now feral monsters. It was time to investigate this and find a way to collect humans before they find themselves in a monster’s stomach. Gaster found himself wandering deep into Snowdin Forest, taking paths monster had not tread in many long years. It was strange for him to come across a large door so far out here. He marveled at the large door for a few long seconds before he realized what it was; an entrance to Home! _This must be where the humans fell_ , he thought. He went to open the door, but he found no way to open it. He touched the door to find some way to open it, and that is when he felt the magic that coated the entrance. One that was all too familiar to him. His eyes began to glow in his shock, “Prince Papyrus?!”  
He tried to teleport past the door but found himself unable to. He held his head, a slight headache dawned from the attempt. After recovering, he banged on the door and called out, “Prince Papyrus, is it really you? Please! Open the door!”  
A voice replied from the other side of the door, “Who are you?”  
Gaster paused and was relieved at the voice. His eyes ended their glow before he calmly explained himself, “Your first cousin, once removed… your Royal Scientist… Surely you remember me?”  
The voice didn’t say a thing for a few moments before speaking, “Why are you here?”  
Gaster raised a ‘brow’ in confusion, “Sire… it’s not like you to be this cautious.”  
The voice raised, “Are you here because Sans told you to find me?”  
Gaster stumbled over his words, confused, “What? I- no! I-“  
He sighed, “I thought you were dust. Many monsters do.”  
The voice, Papyrus’s voice, softened to worry, “They think…. I’m dead?”  
“Yes. As far as anyone is aware, you disappeared from the castle. The king becomes violent to anyone who talks about it in his presence.”

Papyrus tensed behind the door, unknown to Gaster. Gaster continued, “If I may ask… what happened?”  
Tears began to well in Papyrus’s sockets, “I don’t want to talk about it.”  
“But-“  
Papyrus’s voice broke, but was strict, “Please. Don’t…”  
Papyrus sat on the ground and began to slowly sob. Gaster sighed, “Sire…”  
Papyrus sniffled, “Please… don’t call me that. I don’t want any titles…”  
Gaster mused, now more composed, “You and Sans had a fight, didn’t you?”  
“Sort… of…”  
“Tell me. I will not tell him you are here if you do.”  
“Promise?”  
“I swear it.”

Papyrus groaned, “Do you remember the two ghosts Sans and I adopted?”  
Gaster blinked, “Mettacrit and Blook?”  
“Yes.”  
“They found a human.”  
Gaster’s eyes widened for only a moment, “What happened to it?”  
“ _They_ walked through the barrier at the throne room. This was during a few days when Sans was away.”  
Papyrus seemed nostalgic as he continued, “The human was very brave, they weren’t scared of me, or Mettacrit and Blook. They were sincere… and we taught each other about our cultures and needs.”

Papyrus clenched his jaw and tears returned to his sockets, “And then… they wanted to help free us.”  
Gaster interjected, “A human wanted to free monsters?”  
Papyrus nodded, “They even said they could easily get the remaining souls easily… something about older humans in their town. We decided the best way to cross the barrier was for Blook or Mettacrit to possess them, and they could cross the barrier.”  
“What went wrong?”  
“Sans was due back that day, and Mettacrit and I went home to speak with him. We waited there for… I don’t even remember how long… but we decided to go back to Blook and the human in the throne room.”  
Papyrus attempted to hold back his sobs, “But… when we returned… Sans was… there.”  
He spoke through his sobs, “ _He was eating both of them_.”  
Gaster frowned, “He killed them… We always thought those two had disappeared- wait… what happened to Mettacrit?”  
“He… tried to snap Sans out of it, but… Sans killed him… too…”  
“And so, you ran.”  
“I… I never want to see him again… he did such horrible things… and he didn’t feel anything.”  
Gaster sighed, “To be honest… he hasn’t improved. He’s been hunting monsters so he can eat. Many just assume they just turned to dust, but their king is consuming them.”

Papyrus didn’t respond, he only sobbed behind the door. Gaster bowed slightly, “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t need to make you upset like this… My Liege.”  
“I… I don’t want any title…”  
“You deserve it far more than your brother.”  
Papyrus didn’t respond. Gaster spoke after a few moments, “I see you need some time to think this over. I will abide by my vow and not tell a soul you are here. I shall return, however. There is much we should discuss.”  
“….Okay…”  
“I bid you goodbye, Prince Papyrus.”

Gaster turned away from that memory, returning to the present day. He noticed the remaining substitute was ready. He quickly bottled the pills and teleported away. He had a home visit to conduct.


	11. Misleading Ideas

Gaster appeared on the Snowdin Forest side of the door to Home. With the substitute in one hand, he raised the other to knock prominently on the stone door. He knocked five times before he stopped. He had to wait. As he did so, his eyes glazed over on the stone door. He squinted his eye sockets, pulling to door into his focus. Something was… different about the door than before. Something he could not place. He put his free hand to the door. His eye sockets slowly widened in realization. Papyrus’s magic was missing. If he had a physical stomach, he would have felt it drop.  
Gaster called through the door, “Papyrus?!”  
He leaned on the large door. It moved slightly. The door was unlocked. Gaster kept a tight grip on the substitute before he attempted to teleport beyond the door. He secretly hoped this would not work. He appeared just behind the door, much to his surprise and fear. He turned his gaze towards the stone corridor, his eyes full of shock. It only took a second for his eyes to lay upon what he feared most. His eyes began to glow upon the realization of what he saw; a pile of dust with a long, purple robe partially hidden within.

Gaster unconsciously dropped the substitute and slowly walked over towards the dust pile. He collapsed next to it, his voice wavered, “How… could this happen?”  
He went to grab the robe, but he hesitated. The reality consumed him. He struggled to speak as his arm dropped away from the robe, “All that I’ve worked towards…”  
He words trailed off as he turned his gaze towards the center of the tunnel, desperate to turn his gaze away from his now passed prince. The glow of his eyes faded as his eyes spotted something on the floor just in front of the dust pile. Some words were thinly carved into the floor. Gaster read it aloud, “Kitchen drawer... under silverware…”  
He stood, his brows raised in confusion. He looked down the hallway towards Home. He walked quickly down the hall, unsure of what he would encounter. Only one way to find out. His only path led him to a set of stairs, and eventually, a small home. He paused, he recognized that the layout was similar to the royal quarters in New Home, despite the vastly different color palette. He knew exactly where to go. He turned to his right, through a familiarly laid out living room, into a small kitchen. He used his extra hands to nearly open every drawer in the kitchen simultaneously. He was able to find the silverware with extreme ease. He easily lifted the case that held the silverware and found a letter tucked underneath. He brought the letter to his actual hands and saw it was addressed to him. He opened to find a medium length letter in Papyrus’s handwriting. He silently began to read it.

_Gaster,  
If you’re reading this, then I’ve… committed suicide. A human had fallen into the ruins, and while I tried my best to care for it, I… I tried to kill and devour it. I… I’m sorry. There’s no other way to put it. I promised myself I would never become a monster like my brother. But, I guess even I couldn’t fight instinct. My only hope is that you will show kindness to the human in a way I could not. But, above all, keep them safe from Sans. I… I don’t want that tragedy to repeat.  
I know you wanted me to leave the ruins one day and reclaim my title, but I don’t want it. I led three innocent children to their deaths. No king, or even prince, should let that happen. With this, I almost led one more, if they were a child. If not, it still means the same.  
Sorry, I’m rambling. Just… please don’t blame yourself. But… I’m sorry you wasted your time trying to help me.  
Papyrus_

Tears had slowly welled and fallen from Gaster’s eye sockets as he read the letter. Grief and disbelief visibly waned into his gaze. He crumpled the note and held it to his chest. He stood there for a few moments, taking in this tragedy. After a few minutes, he straightened out the note and carefully folded it before putting it in one of his coat pockets. He sighed, his gaze downcast upon the many open drawers. He paused, his gazed locked onto another drawer. He narrowed his eyes at the contents. Right at the top of a stack of recipes was another letter. He found this letter was also addressed to him. He quickly opened the letter and read it. His eyes widened. It was a nearly identical letter in theme, except in this one, Papyrus killed and devoured the human that fell. Gaster wiped the tears from his skull. A renewed sense of skepticism and curious disbelief. He felt a veil lift in his mind. He dropped the new letter and began to dig frantically through the kitchen drawers. He found two more letters; one in which Papyrus had been found by Sans, and one in which Papyrus had simply lost hope. Gaster poured over the letters, confused and curious, “Impossible…”

Curious, and with a new sense of determination, Gaster searched all the drawers around the house for more letters. He found six others, each with a different scenario that ended with Papyrus’s suicide. He laid out the ten letters he found throughout the house on the living room table. All of them open, all of them read. All of them in Papyrus’s handwriting. He thought aloud, “Why would he have to make up this many scenarios? This doesn’t make any sense. It’s… suspicious.”  
Gaster turned his eye sockets toward the first letter he found, the one in which Papyrus nearly ate a human that fell. His thoughts quickly turned to the new human Chara brought with them. He remembered the child had a nervous demeanor, and yet they easily escaped Chara’s grasp when their life was threatened. The child was more intelligent than they let on.  
Gaster flashed an impish grin and a dark chuckle, “So, that is why this letter was chosen.”  
He crumpled the letter in his claws before he spoke, “T H A T C H I L D I S D E A D.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chara kept Frisk close as they began to exit Waterfall and enter Hotland. Asriel trailed close behind, nervous and constantly downcast. He also kept fidgeting with his hands and looked up ahead to the side. Chara gave a genuine smile as the three entered Hotland, “We’re almost there.”  
Frisk frowned and looked away from Chara, careful about the red knife near their neck. Chara looked back at Asriel, “Everything will be better soon, Rei. I promise.”  
Asriel avoided Chara’s gaze but nodded in response. Satisfied, Chara turned forward.

The three of them could see Gaster’s lab looming in the distance. Frisk’s footsteps unconsciously began to slow as the group became closer to the lab. Chara growled lightly before they made the knife at Frisk’s neck disappear. They pushed Frisk forward and spoke simply, “Walk faster. We’re all still-“  
Chara felt suddenly thrown off balance. They tumbled to the ground before they could react. Frisk turned curiously and saw that Asriel had pushed Chara to the ground. Asriel frowned and spoke to Frisk, “C’mon!”  
Asriel bean to walk down another path, one that did not lead to Riverperson. In the distance, Frisk could see an elevator that seemed to go up for miles. Chara quickly recovered, only on their knees. They noticed Asriel and Frisk running from them. They panicked for a moment before their tone turned dark, the fire renewed in their eyes, “Not. Again!”  
Chara lifted their arm and summoned ten small knives in front of Asriel and Frisk, blocking their path. Asriel panicked and slid to a stop, as did Frisk. Chara stood and walked over to Frisk with a growl, “So, that was your plan? You wanted to use Asriel to make your escape? _Again_?”  
Asriel wavered as he turned, “N-no! It was me! I saw a way to help them and-“  
Chara cut Asriel off, “Rei. You don’t have to keep making excuses for them. They tricked you-“  
Asriel shouted, “They didn’t trick me! It was me! If anyone’s tricking me, it’s you!”  
Chara gritted their teeth and sighed, their voice partially strained, “I have not been very… forward with what I have been doing. That much is true. But, that does not mean I lied. I only wanted to protect you, Rei.”  
Genuine sadness seeped into their tone, “Why won’t you let me protect you? Why won’t you let me help you?”  
Asriel’s face dropped, but Frisk remained on guard.

Before another word was exchanged, the group heard a couple of ‘woosh’ and ‘splash’ sounds from below. Chara immediately turned their gaze to below the natural stone path. They saw two creatures had jumped from the lava and were headed for them. The creatures appeared to be monsters of flames wrapped in a charred rope that did not seem to burn through. Yellow shoes appeared to magically follow the creature, just below its body. Chara lowered their stance and muttered, “Damnit. Pyropes.”  
Chara heard Asriel yelp and turned toward it. Two more pyropes had already jumped up from the other side of the path. Chara was now cut off from Asriel and Frisk. Chara turned the knives toward the pyropes, now all four near each other, “You will not take them from me!”  
Chara sent all ten knives towards the four pyropes. The two that had just landed did not have time to defend themselves from the rain of magic knives and fell to the ground, wounded. The two that were already grounded, however, jumped and dodged out of the way. One of them jumped towards Frisk. Frisk cowered and covered their face with a small scream. Chara quickly reacted and summoned four more knives in front of Frisk. Each of them pierced the pyrope before it dissipated into dust. Chara quickly turned their attention to the three other pyropes. Two of them instantly turned their attention towards Chara once the two had recovered. One hissed at Chara before they sent plumes of fire in Chara’s direction. Chara swiftly dodged with a turn-around dodge. As they moved, their physical knife began to glow the same crimson as their knives. They landed their dodge with a smirk before they swung their physical knife. A red, crescent shape of energy emerged from the blade as it was swung. It launched toward two pyropes and quickly cut them in half. The two disappeared into dust after a few seconds. Chara then set their sights on the final pyrope. It had noticed its other comrades had been decimated with ease. The flame that made the head seemed to shrink noticeably. Chara began to sweat from Hotland’s heat but kept their determined smirk upon their face. Before Chara could attack, they heard something. Footsteps. Running.

Meanwhile, Asriel watched the fight carefully. He slowly scooted over to Frisk. He made it there soon after Frisk was nearly attacked. Asriel put a hand on Frisk’s shoulder and began to whisper to them, “C’mon. They can handle this.”  
Frisk nearly gasped, but silently nodded once they realized it was Asriel. While Chara was focused on the final pyrope, Frisk and Asriel made a dash for the elevator in the distance. Frisk saw Chara’s eyes almost immediately lock towards the sound of their footsteps. They heard Chara growl, “Stop running away, mirror!”  
Chara summoned more knives, “Looks like I will have to kill you here!”  
The pyrope noticed quickly that it was no longer on Chara’s mind. It sent flames towards Chara. Chara noticed too late, and the flames burned into their left arm, just above their elbow. They cried out in pain and immediately clutched onto the wound. The pyrope’s flame grew larger in confidence and began to throw more flames at Chara. The magical glow in Chara’s eyes intensified as rage built in Chara’s expression. Many knives surrounded the lone pyrope, many more than what was summoned for Toriel. The flames seemed to cease as the Pyrope’s head flame nearly extinguished in fright. Chara kept the intensity to their eyes, their rage transformed into a crazed smirk that focused on the pyrope. They only spoke one word, “D I E.”  
All the knives dug deep into every part of the pyrope’s form. It burst into dust upon impact will all the knives. Chara had no other choice but to pause and regain their strength. They felt a large part of their energy drained by that magical attack. They turned their eyes towards where Asriel and Frisk had run, but find them already gone. Chara felt their heart drop once more. The same feeling that wash over them in the lab had returned. Tears flowed from their eyes as they cried quietly to themselves. They could do nothing but cry quietly and clutch their wound while they spoke to themselves, “Why?... Why are you choosing them, Rei? What did they do to you?”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Chara was preoccupied with the final pyrope, Asriel and Frisk dashed into the elevator at the end of the path. Scared Chara was just behind them, Asriel hit a random button and watched the elevator doors close. No sign of Chara. Once the doors closed, Asriel and Frisk began to catch their breath. The elevator began to move upwards. Frisk soon spoke, “Why are we going this way?”  
Asriel smiled, “Chara said we can’t get through the barrier, but… they never tried walking through it! Maybe the barrier only traps monsters. I mean, you and Chara both fell _into_ the barrier, after all.”  
Frisk hugged themselves, their tone nervous, “But, Chara said the only exit to the underground that you could walk through was in King Sans’s throne room.”  
Asriel grimaced for a moment before they regained confidence in their voice, “Well… then… we just have to wait until he leaves the throne room, and then we go to the barrier!”  
“But… what about you?”  
“If he’s gone, then I can just walk back out! Then, I can tell Chara they can go through the barrier, too!”

Frisk was silent for a moment, mulling over Asriel’s innocent idea. Asriel seemed nervous about Frisk’s mulling expression. He spoke solemnly, “It’s… better than Chara trying to kill you…”  
Frisk gave a small smile. They had to agree with Asriel on that. They spoke calmly, in an agreeable tone, “Yeah. Okay. We can try it.”  
Asriel smiled as the elevator came to a stop, “Great! Now we just gotta make it there!”

The doors opened to reveal a new area. One rocky path that leads to the right of the two, to their left was the end of the path and a sharp cliff side. Asriel raised and brow as the two stepped out of the elevator. The door closed behind them and left. Asriel whined, “I think Chara just called the elevator. We better hurry before they catch up.”  
Frisk nodded before the two ventured into the new territory before them.


	12. Surprising Deals

Gaster’s immediate action was to teleport into a small room within his lab. It held a number of screens and monitors than occasionally changed to new locations. There was a chair in the center of the artificially lit room, where Gaster’s loyal assistant, Asgore, sat examining the monitors. Or, that is what he should be doing. Gaster saw a book in his hands, one that was slightly warped by water and time. It appeared to be a gardening book, one of Asgore’s favorite subjects.

Gaster cleared his throat, alerting his assistant. Asgore gasped slightly and hurriedly stuffed the book in his lab coat. He spoke nervously, “S-s-sir! You’re back!”  
Gaster narrowed his eyes in disappointment. He silently made a mental note to punish his assistant at a later time. That was until he saw that the fur under his assistant’s eyes were stained with the remnants of tears. He quickly noticed that Asgore’s eyes were swollen slightly as well. He had been crying. One of Gaster’s eye sockets twitched slightly, but he managed to push aside the thoughts in his head and spoke bluntly, “Where are Chara and the new human?”  
Asgore immediately avoided Gaster’s half-glare. He blinked and stuttered while he fidgetted with his hands, “I-I um… well…”  
Annoyance seeped into Gaster’s voice, “I told you to keep an eye on them.”  
Gaster quickly smirked and spoke smugly, “Perhaps you secretly wish to be rid of them after all?”  
Asgore quickly reacted. He scowled and roared with confidence, throwing the book from his coat in the process, “I would never want that!”  
Gaster flashed a surprised expression before his tone and face returned to a calm, neutral manner, “Then what is their status?”  
Asgore took a second to allow his anger to melt away. He gave a heavy sigh, “Well...”  
Asgore began to mess with the cameras. Sorrow slowly bled into his voice, “When I… last saw them… Chara… they had to… they had to kill Toriel.”  
Gaster held his hand tightly, shaking slightly. He attempted to keep an even tone as he spoke, “As... unfortunate as that is, where are they now?”  
Asgore sniffled and whipped away the tears that threatened to fall, “I saw them go deep into Waterfall, in the area with the damaged cameras. And… I saw them enter Hotland.”  
He raised and brow and held his beard as he turned back towards the monitors, “Strange… they should be here by now.”  
Asgore pressed a few buttons, switching the view to various cameras in Hotland. Asgore exclaimed as he saw Chara on one of the monitors, “Ah! There is Chara! But… they are alone…”  
Asgore’s eyes widened, they saw Chara clutch their arm on the screen, “Are-are they injured?!”

Gaster’s expression turned dark as he saw Chara on screen. He quickly and aggressively grasped the collar of Asgore’s lab coat, much to Asgore’s surprise. The two teleported to Chara’s location before Asgore could fully react. Chara was at the Hotland elevator, they had raised their arm to push the call button before they froze. They heard the sound of Gaster’s teleport behind them. A chill ran down their back. They let out a small gasp before they felt something grab hold of their soul. Gaster used blue magic and lifted Chara towards them. Chara was stiff, fear was quick to light up their expression. All they could do was clutch their new first–nearly second-degree–burn on their left arm. Gaster scowled at them and spoke darkly, “Where is the other human?”  
Chara hesitated to speak for a moment, they could only shake while their soul was encased in the blue magic, “We- we had a run in with a few pyropes-“  
Gaster’s scowl deepened for a moment. He slowly closed one of his palms, and Chara began to squirm and quiver. They nearly let out a cry of pain. After a brief moment, Gaster uncurled the same palm. His expression leveled, but his tone did not, before he continued, “I did not ask what happened. I asked where the human is. Now… Where. Is. It?”  
Chara‘s breath became heavy for a few moments. They gave a pleading gaze towards Asgore. Asgore shuffled his hands nervously and turned their gaze away. Chara quickly turned their gaze back to Gaster and spoke, “Somewhere in... Hotland…”  
Gaster spoke bluntly, “So, it escaped again. You disappoint me, Chara.”  
Chara’s voice cracked as they pled, “All they do is run! It convinced Asriel to go with them-“  
Gaster quickly threw Chara against the elevator, pressing the call button with their back in the process. Chara yelped and landed on the ground, winded from the attack. Gaster looked down at them and spoke, “Do not despair, Chara. I have decided not to kill you.”  
Chara raised a brow, unable to respond before Gaster continued, “Return to the lab. It should be safe for you there.”  
Gaster flashed an impish grin, “I will finish the job.”  
Chara struggled to stand, “N-no!”  
Gaster frowned, “This is not up for discussion. Your ineptitude to finish the job shall not stand any longer.“  
Asgore raised a brow, “Sir? Forgive me, but this is most unlike you. Are you a-”  
Gaster sharply turned his gaze to his assistant. A chill ran down Asgore’s spine and he quickly quieted. Gaster spoke bluntly to his assistant, “You should be overjoyed at this decision. At the very least, your children will live to see the surface.”

Chara interjected once more, “I will not let you kill them!”  
Gaster turned his gaze back to Chara, whose eyes were aglow with their rage. Chara continued with a determined declaration, “I will kill them. I will not allow them to go unpunished for taking Rei from me!’  
Gaster frowned, “You have failed. _Twice_. This human is clearly too much for your skills. Now-“  
Chara interjected once more, “All they do is run! They are wea-“

A wall of sharp bones burst forth from the ground and halted just in front of Chara’s neck. The glow in Chara’s eyes vanished in an instant as terror overcame them. They backed every small bit of their body back against the elevator, terrified to move a muscle and risk being impaled on the sharp bones. Yet, they could not help but shake, and even a few tears began to well in their eyes, slightly obscuring the lava light-lit bones that threatened their life. Asgore gasped but did nothing, unsure whether this was a bluff. Gaster growled, his expression tired and angered, “The human is stronger than they appear, _child_.”  
Chara turned their gaze onto the caster of the spell and spoke, their voice wavered, “H-how would you know that?”  
“Papyrus is dead.”  
Asgore’s eyes widened, “Th-the Prince?! But, how?!”  
Chara had no reaction but slowly recovered from their fear as Gaster spoke, “I found the Prince as a pile of dust, with a message that referred to a human. However… I found many more letters with many different scenarios. I can only assume the human tricked Papyrus into pointing out that specific letter before the human killed him.”  
Chara muttered, now calmed, “That is a large assumption.”  
One of the bones grew just enough to pierce the skin on Chara’s neck. Chara once more stiffened against the elevator door and said nothing. Gaster nearly huffed, “I do not need your smarmy remarks. Return to the lab. I will take care of the human and return Asriel to you.”  
The bones retracted and disappeared. Chara dropped to their knees. They sighed and conceded as the rubbed the new wound on their neck, “Fine.”  
They stood and scowled, “But I want at least one stab while they are alive.”  
Gaster smirked, “I believe that can be arra-“

Gaster felt a sudden, semi-continuous vibration from his coat pocket. He pulled out a small flip phone from said pocket to discover a call for him. He answered the call calmly, “Yes, what is it?”  
A familiar voice echoed through the phone, “Is that any way to address your king?”  
Gaster stood stiff and turned away from Chara, “My king! My apologies, I did not know it was you!”  
Asgore and Chara’s eyes widened at Gaster’s words but kept quiet. Chara also felt the elevator doors open behind them. Before Chara could slip into the elevator, Gaster once again grabbed Chara’s soul with blue magic with only a quick glance at them. Gaster scowled at Chara as Sans spoke, “Eh, I’ve been switching phones a lot lately, so I’ll forgive that. For now. Anyway, I’m dropping by the lab soon. I need those cameras you got around the underground for something.”  
Gaster returned most of his focus to the call and spoke nervously, “How gracious of you to alert us of your arrival.”  
Sans chuckled, amused, “Yeah. You got five minutes. I got some lunch to finish.”

The phone call ended abruptly. Gaster sighed and put the phone in his pocket. He looked towards Chara with a grumble, “The king is on his way. If I am not there to… entertain him, then there will be trouble.”  
Chara smirked, “Then, it would not be wise for me to return to the lab.”  
Gaster glared at Chara for a moment before he threw Chara up in the air for a brief second before he dropped them to the ground once more. Gaster glared at Chara deeply as they spoke, “I am only giving you this last chance because I have no choice. Find the human, and call me when you have them in your grasp. It will be killed in a safe location. Understood?”  
Chara stood and avoided Gaster’s gaze, “Yes… sir.”

Gaster bent down and grabbed Chara by their chin before he forcibly turned their gaze towards him. Chara’s eyes widened slightly and they tried to tear themselves from Gaster’s grasp to no avail. Gaster ignored Chara’s apparent panic and spoke, “I should not need to remind you of the consequences of failure, but I will since you seem so prone to it….”  
Chara glared at Gaster and retorted, “There is a human saying. ‘Third time is the charm’. It means that the third attempt is the one that will bring success.”  
Gaster let go of Chara’s face and stood tall, “For your sake, you should make it a success. Or you will die.”

Gaster turned back towards Asgore, “Come. We have a king to entertain.”  
Asgore nodded, “Yes, sir.”  
Gaster grasped the collar of Gaster’s lab coat once more, but this time was much gentler. The two disappeared with naught but a small sound. Chara stood there, holding their new wound once more. They sighed and turned towards the now open elevator and entered without a word. Chara looked at the many buttons, not sure which one Asriel or Frisk had pressed. Chara muttered, “This will be difficult.”  
Chara pressed the button for one side of Hotland’s top floor. The elevator door closed before the elevator moved slowly. Chara slowly removed their coat to reveal the white tank-top beneath. They ripped the bottom of the shirt and began to wind the cloth around the burn. They hissed slightly through their teeth and grunted as they wound and bound the wound tightly with no ointment to soothe it. Chara gave a relaxed sigh, knowing the worst of it was now done. They quickly dug out the bag of dust from their jacket and began to reapply the dust onto their clothes. They were careful in applying the dust over their wound, they even bit their lip in anticipation of any sudden pain. Some came, but it was more so from jerking the arm around than the dust application. Chara stuffed the now empty bag into their coat, satisfied at their new coat of dust. They pulled their hood up, some bits of monster dust stuck in the hood became entangled within their hair.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. It revealed a long, straight path to their right and a crumbling path to their left. No sign of Asriel and the human. Chara sighed before they muttered quietly to themselves, “This will be harder than I thought.” 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Gaster and Asgore waited for Sans in the main entrance room of the lab. It was only two minutes before another being teleported into the lab. King Sans threw off the hood of his cloak, revealing his face with fresh dust around his jaw. Gaster paid no mind, but Asgore avoided Sans’s gaze as the two gave a light bow to their king. Gaster spoke, “And you said your visit is about the camera system?”  
Sans wiped the new dust way from his teeth, “Yeah. I decided to use it for a special hunt.”  
Gaster raised a brow, “Special? Is there… a particular monster you wish to devour?”  
Sans grinned, “Nah, something better. Just thinking about the two of ‘em is making me even more hungry.”  
Sans licked the dust on his hand, almost lightly chewing it. He let go before he spoke, “A little weed told me there are two humans down here.”

Asgore’s eyes lit up in shock and fear, but Gaster remained calm, only raising a brow. Gaster’s eyes narrowed, “A… weed told you this?”  
Sans chuckled, concentrating on wiping the last specks of dust off his hand, “Yeah. Some useless, soulless husk. Barely tasted like anything.”  
Sans turned his focus back to Gaster, “So, where is the camera system set up? Walk me to it. I want to know _exactly_ where it is.”  
Gaster began to walk towards the main elevator, “This way, my king.”

Sans silently followed behind. Asgore shook slightly and stood still. Sans noticed this and quickly turned his skull back towards the meek assistant, “You coming?”  
Asgore nearly jumped, his fur stood on end, and he could not help but stutter all the while, “Y-yes, sir! Sorry, sir!”  
Asgore scurried up behind Sans and Gaster, and all three made their way through the lower confines of the lab. Sans was quick to loudly smell the hanging stench of Chara’s blood. Sans chuckled lightly to himself, “The substitute ain’t bad, but I’ll have the real thing soon enough.”  
Gaster spoke calmly, “You said this… weed… told you there were two humans?”  
Sans replied simply, but his eyes locked onto the Royal Scientist, “Yeah.”  
Gaster felt a chill up his spine, he could not help but hesitate in his words, “I-if this weed’s claim… were true-“  
“It is. You’d be surprised how many will naturally _spill their guts_ right before they die.”  
“Then… would you consider… giving one of them… to us?”

Sans stopped dead in his tracks, causing Asgore to dance around him quickly. Sans’s eyes became a dark abyss. His teeth clenched for a moment before he responded darkly, “ _What_?”  
Gaster quickly turned around at the sound of the king’s tone. He recognized this expression. He knew this all too well. He instinctually stepped back a few paces before he responded, pleads bled into his tone, “It could be useful in accelerating the substitute’s production. A-and the chance to research a soul could lead to the breakthrough we need to shatter the barrier!”  
Asgore gave an angered look to Gaster and was about to protest, but he stopped himself. He knew the king couldn’t know.

Sans was quiet for a few short moments, his head lowered slightly. The gears turned in his skull. Gaster and Asgore kept their distance from the king, careful not to set him off.  
Sans raised his head after a while, and his eyes returned to his thick white dots. He smirked, “How _noble_ of you…”  
Gaster lowered his stance, ready for an inevitable attack. He heard something he did not expect. Words from his king, “Alright. If you can manage to pry one out of my mouth… I might be willing to give one to you.”  
The king flashed his blue eye, “But I get to pick first. Touch that human, and I’ll save room for you as dessert.”  
Asgore attempted to nervously speak to Gaster, “S-sir-“  
Gaster simply put up a hand to Asgore’s face while he kept his eye on Sans. Gaster then quickly lowered his hand and spoke, “Agreed. One human for you, and one other for my research.”  
Sans’s eyes returned to normal once more, his posture seemed relaxed, “Good. Now, that camera system…”  
Asgore perked up, “Sir… I feel you should know… the recording capabilities have been offline for some time… d-due to… damage…”  
Sans frowned, “I don’t need to know where the two humans were. I want to know where they _are_.”  
Asgore shrunk back slightly, submissively, “I just… thought you should know.”  
Sans rolled his eye sockets dismissively, “Fine. Just take me to it.”  
Asgore gulped and motioned to the halls ahead, “Right away… sir.”


	13. Memory

The walk to the camera systems was, for the rest of the way, full of awkward silence. Yet, Gaster and Asgore knew not to let their guard down for a second. Not unless they desired the risk of harm from their unstable king. After a few twists and turns, the three ended up at an average-sized door. Asgore quickly jogged around Sans and Gaster in order to reach the door first. Sans flashed a quick frown but did nothing other than wait. Asgore fished a set of keys out of his coat pocket before he fumbled with them. Each key on the set was similar to each other, making it difficult to decipher which one of them was the proper key for this door. After only a few tries in the lock, Asgore could hear a few taps of impatience come from Sans’s boots. He quickly located the proper key and unlocked the door.

The room was just as the two had left it; screens set to various cameras in Hotland. It was then that Gaster and Asgore noticed that a number of the camera were nothing but a display of static and the message, ‘No Signal’ in a corner of each screen. Sans approached the machine and began to change the camera displays to each section of the underground. Snowdin. Waterfall. Hotland. The Core. New Home. No discernable trace of Chara, Asriel, or Frisk; much to Asgore’s subtle relief. Sans frowned, “Lot of cameras broken in Hotland...”  
Gaster gave a heavy sigh as he stepped next to his king, “Yes. Unfortunately, some of the magma plumes and feral monsters continuously break a number of cameras. You will find at least a few broken cameras in each region of the underground.”  
Sans grinned impishly and turned his gaze toward Gaster beside him, “Pretty convenient… though… I think I broke a few of them myself. Can’t really help myself when I see my next meal.”  
Gaster seemed to ignore Sans’s comment, instead, he spoke evenly and kept his gaze locked on the screens, “The cameras should still have a good view of the underground, despite the blind spots.”  
“And if the humans are hiding in the blind spots?...”  
Gaster spoke dryly, “Even if they were, they’d likely move into vision fairly quickly. They aren’t the most observant creatures.”  
Sans chuckled darkly at Gaster’s comment, “Yeah. Even dumb monsters can catch full-grown humans.”

Sans turned away from the screens with a quick frown and a disappointed sigh, “No sight of the humans.”  
Sans returned to his impish grin, “Guess I’ll have to do this the old fashion way.”  
Gaster turned and gave a light bow to his king, “I apologize this was a waste of time for you.”  
Sans shrugged, “Eh, I know where the two humans _aren’t_ , so it wasn’t a _complete_ waste of time.”  
Gaster stood straight with a calm half-smile, “Well, I wish you luck in your hunt, my king. Still, I hope you consider my proposition-“  
Sans turned back towards Gaster. He was quick to cut Gaster off with a strict, yet even tone, “I remember your proposition. Don’t test me.”  
Gaster jumped slightly at Sans’s words before his posture relaxed and curled inward slightly. He avoided Sans’s gaze, “My apologies, sir.”  
Sans relax and shrugged for a moment, “I’ll forgive ya this time. ‘Sides…”  
Sans’s left eye began to glow. He used it to glare at Gaster, accompanied by a deep frown, “You remember what happens when you try my patience.”  
Gaster instinctually touched the scar under his left eye. The memory echoed clearly in his mind. His tone became more submissive and somber, “Yes… sir.”  
Sans’s eyes returned to normal, his frown normalized. Sans spoke more evenly and shrugged once more, “Eh, still not there yet. Although…”  
Sans winked at Gaster, “If you’ve been lying about hiding a human, then I’d have to have you for _dessert_.”

Sans disappeared in an instant from the lab. Gaster’s eyes were left wide-eyed and his teeth gritted. He shook slightly, “No… he couldn’t know… if he did… I would be…“  
Asgore approached Gaster with a quiet voice, “I… have a confession, sir.”  
Gaster furrowed his brow at his assistant, “Yes?”  
Asgore fiddled with his hands slightly, “Th-the recording system is not broken… I… I lied. I thought it would give Chara some time…”  
Gaster smirked and gave a small chuckle, “I’m surprised at you. Lying to the king to his face. Well done.”

Asgore hesitated to speak for a moment. He knew what came next would be difficult for him. He curled his hands into a fist and furrowed his brows downwards in anger. He then spoke out in anger, “How could you put Chara and Asriel in danger like that?! You just offered both of their lives to him!”  
Gaster was at first in shock at his assistant’s audacity to yell at him. This quickly faded to his own anger and annoyance. Gaster mirrored his assistant’s furrowed brows and growled, “I said what I had to say in the chance of getting one soul! If Chara had done their job properly, we would not have to be in this situation to begin with!”  
Asgore, while he would normally cower from Gaster at this point, felt the surge of determination he needed to speak his voice to his boss. Despite the rattles in his voice, he pulled through, “Y-you said Frisk killed Papyrus! I know by looking at that child there is a certainty they did not harm him!”  
Gaster’s tone evened out, despite its darkened state, “Looks can be deceiving. How else could he be dust? Answer that!”

Asgore huffed and calmed his tone, he even loosened his fists from the death-grip tightness he had tightened them to. Asgore closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath to calm himself. He opened his eyes and began to speak in a worried, nearly pleading tone, “Sir… Papyrus may be kind… but please. Think. Is there truly a way a child could kill a boss monster? Not to mention one that is hundreds of–if not a few thousand– years old!”  
Gaster glared heavily. His hands started to shake in his bubbling rage, “You don’t know what you are insinuating.”  
“You said that you found a letter. What made you find that letter?”  
Gaster’s fists tightened, yet they still shook, “How dare you-“  
Asgore quickly cut him off, firmness seeped into his voice, “What. Made. You. Find. It?”  
Gaster gritted his teeth. He was quiet for a moment. The only thing Asgore could hear was the sound of Gaster’s gritting teeth and his still shaking fists. He spoke, his tone tense, “Carved in the stone in front of his dust.”  
Asgore’s tone became much calmer, “Was the message facing him?”  
“…Yes.”  
“Then, perhaps it was carved-“

Before Asgore’s eyes, something appeared behind Gaster. A large, bestial skull appeared behind Gaster. Its eyes were white at first, but its jaw opened, and the eyes seemed to slowly fade to black. Within the mouth, vast amounts of light pooled. Energy. Energy that was pointed towards Asgore. His eyes widened in fear at the large and imposing head. He quivered, his facial expression quickly dropped to despair and fright. Gaster, meanwhile, had naught but a simple frown and glowing eyes. He stared down his assistant. His tones were dark and soft, yet it held a bubbling rage, “I will not allow you to insult his memory. I will not let _anyone_ insult him in that manner. He may have been naïve, but he still was a better monster than _any_ of us.”  
Asgore dropped to his knees and tears began to flow into his beard, “Please… I… I just-“  
Gaster smirked and spoke darkly, “J U S T W H A T?”  
Asgore turned his gaze away from Gaster. He curled in on himself slightly before he spoke quietly, “N-nothing… sir…”  
The large skull behind Gaster seemed to disappear slowly. The energy it had built had dispersed peacefully. Gaster’s eyes became calm and he wore a victorious smirk as he spoke, “That’s what I thought.”  
Asgore said nothing. He did nothing but weep quietly. Gaster ignored his assistant and began to examine the various screens. He focused them on Hotland. He saw that an entire section of the top level of Hotland had been destroyed. Again. He gave a resigned sigh, “She’s active again…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frisk and Asriel walked slowly through a middle layer of Hotland. The sweltering heat was enough to cause Frisk to occasionally fluff their sweater. They saw that Asriel had begun to pant and use his rainbow bandana as a fan occasionally. His fur was murder in this area. Asriel noticed Frisk had noticed his struggle. He struggled to smile and lowered his arm with his bandana in hand. He spoke in nervous tones, “I-it’s okay. Really! I can handle this a lot better than the lower areas. I look a lot hotter than I am… r-really…”  
Frisk frowned, worry crept onto their face, “Okay…”  
Asriel dug into his coat pocket and dug out the can of the substitute, “If I get really tired… I’ll just eat a little. Okay?”  
“Okay.”  
Asriel smiled before he put the substitute back into his coat. Meanwhile, Frisk wiped the sweat from their brow. Frisk spoke after a moment, “So… where do we go from here?”  
Asriel scratched his chin, “Um… It’s been a while since I’ve been here… but… there should be another elevator on this level of Hotland.”  
Asriel pointed upwards, “We need to go to the top, then… we gotta, um… sneak into King Sans’s castle…”  
Frisk shivered slightly at the thought. Despite the sweltering heat, the name brought with it a cold chill. Only for a moment. Frisk hugged themselves slightly and spoke quietly, “We… can think about that…. later…”  
Asriel turned his gaze forward, “Yeah… I don’t wanna think about it either…”

The two were silent for a time, taking a few turns and choosing a direction from a fork in the path here and there. Asriel felt more and more nervous as the two continued onwards. He began to fiddle with his hands and look around nervously. After about four forks, the area teemed with mechanics. Schematics were scattered on the metal-plated floor. Tools were near toolboxes, and there was the distant sound of metalwork ahead of them. Asriel sighed in defeat as he looked around, “Frisk… this doesn’t look familiar at all…”  
Frisk’s eyes widen and stopped dead in their tracks, “We’re… lost?”  
Asriel stopped and turned back to Frisk. He whined, “Yeah…”  
Frisk looked back towards the path they had been walking, “Maybe… maybe we can go back and take another turn?”

The metalwork sounds stopped suddenly. A masculine voice hissed from the path ahead. The voice sounded confused, “Huh? Isssomeone there?!”  
Asriel let out a gasp and Frisk was suddenly ready to run at a moment’s notice. They heard footsteps echo on the metal up ahead. Quick footsteps. Frisk grabbed Asriel’s arm and ran without another word. Asriel yelped at the sudden yank but accepted the tug. As their footsteps clanged on the metal below them, the two could hear the monster behind them call out, “Wait! Come back!”  
Frisk refused to look back, yet Asriel did. He saw the new monster quickly gain on them in a bolt of speed. Asriel yelped before the monster caught up. In response, Asriel tried to run as fast–if not faster–than Frisk. He crashed into Frisk, tripping them over. With a small cry from each of them, the pair tumbled to the ground, just outside the metal-plated area. The two groaned and heard a voice speak to them in small bits of worry, “Whoa! You two alright? That wass quite a tumble for you kids!”  
Asriel and Frisk groaned. Asriel responded with his eyes closed, “We’re okay…”

Frisk and Asriel looked up at the monster. The monster had a lithe figure–serpentine in nature–with long legs and arms that held no claws or tail. The figure stood tall over Asriel and Frisk, looking down on them with a long, curled-down neck. The monster’s scales were a seemingly random pattern of red, yellow, and black. All of them shined slightly in the magma light around them despite some scales being covered with various mechanical fluid and powder. The monster’s eyes were always opened, never blinking, staring down with a piercing yellow behind some simple goggles.

Frisk shook and attempted to back away from the serpentine monster. The monster crooked their neck and raised their head slightly. They looked more worried of Frisk’s fear, “Hey… you okay, kid?”  
The monster kneeled down and spoke gently, “I can be a bit sscary, but I don’t mean any harm. I promissse.”  
Frisk stood and readied themselves to move, but Asriel spoke instead, “You really mean it?”  
Frisk relaxed slightly, disarmed by the situation. The monster nodded and smiled lightly, “Yesss, I am Sssserrrol. What are your namess?”  
Asriel smiled, “I’m Asriel! And this is Frisk!”  
Serol took a long look at Frisk. The longer Serol’s eyes stayed locked onto Frisk, the more Frisk scooted away. Serol blinked and lowered his head in order to adjust his goggles over his eyes, “I sssee why you are nervousss of me! I thought all the human-looking monssstersss were eaten decadesss ago!”  
Frisk blinked in shock for a moment. Bewilderment and disbelief encompassed their face. They could not speak due to the shock. Asriel stepped in and spoke nervously, “Y-yeah! F-Frisk has to be reaaally careful around other monsters!”  
Serol sniffed for a moment. Frisk became tense once more, and Asriel did as well. Serol curled their mouth and curled their neck towards the chest. They wiped the smell away in disgust, “Urg. How ssomeone could missstake you for a human iss a myssstery. You reek of dussst.”

Serol reached for his goggles and seemed to rub his finger downwards against the left side of the goggles. The goggles seemed to focus outwards as he continued the motion. Serol hissed in disgust and shock, “Frisssk! You are covered in dusst!”  
Frisk looked down at themselves. They examined the remainder of the dust that Chara had coated them with earlier that day. Less than half of it remained. They truly wondered how much of their scent was diluted at this point. Frisk nodded and thought quickly of a response. They hesitated, “I… I fell in a pile of dust earlier… I just… want to go home and clean off…”  
Serol perked their head up, “Where iss your home? New Home?”  
Asriel perked up. They suddenly realized what Frisk was doing. Frisk nodded calmly at Serol, not saying a word. Serol sighed, “Well… I ssupposse I could guide you…. to the nearest elevator.”

Serol’s head lowered and the serpentine monster began to appear dejected. Asriel frowned and spoke up, “What’s wrong?”  
Serol whined, “I thought… ssomeone had come to… try my puzzle…”  
Asriel paused, confused. He answered kindly, yet confused, “…puzzle?”  
Serole perked his head up slightly, “I… I like to make puzzlesss. Like our misssing Princce Papyrusss!”  
Frisk perked up at the name. They spoke with shock in their voice, unable to resist blurting out the question, “You know Papyrus?!”  
Serol looked genuinely confused, “Everyone knowsss who Prince Papyruss wasss. Maybe… you two are too young to remember him…”  
Asriel raised a brow at Frisk, but Frisk focused on Serol, “Could you tell us about him?”  
Serol smiled. His eyes seemed to glaze over in nostalgia, “He… he was the kindesst monsster anyone knew. A little naïve, but sstill kind. He loved puzzles and he tried to keep everyone’ssspirits up when the barrier went up.”  
Serol’s head lowered and he frowned, “And then… he disappeared overnight. King Ssanss locked himself in his cassstle for a while. Refusssed to talk about it, and attacked thosse that tried.”  
Serol hissed more than usual, anger seeped into his voice, “Ssssome sssay Sssanss killed Papyrusss! Perpossserousss! He may be a jerk and a horrible king, but he loved hisss bother more than anyone!”  
Frisk frowned and became lost in through. Their mind focused on those two days with Papyrus. The tranquility. The kindness. Yet, their mind had no choice but to fall on Papyrus’s attack as well. They spoke quietly with melancholy, “Papyrus…”  
Serol nodded, mirroring Frisk’s melancholy, “He issstill missssed.”

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Serol bowed his head for an impromptu mournful moment of silence. Asriel was nervous to butt in, but did so, “Well... golly… we… really need to get going soon-“  
Serol lowered his head to be face to face with Asriel. His eyes lit up and pleadings filled his voice. His hiss could barely be heard as he spoke quickly, “Please don’t leave yet!”  
Asriel jumped back, nearly knocked off balance at the sudden serpent face in his face. Frisk caught Asriel just in time and Asriel regained his balance quickly. Serol continued his pleading as Asriel recovered, “I… I have done little elssse other than thiss puzzle… it helpssss passss the time. Pleassse, if you two try it, I will guide you to the nearessst elevator! Jusst onccce, pleassse!?”  
Frisk and Asrie quickly turned away from Serol. They shared a gaze. Both held worry, but only a little. Asriel spoke quietly, “Well… he _is_ offering to take us to the elevator…”  
Frisk murmured, “Yeah… I think we can trust him for a little bit. I think he’s kinda lonely…”  
Asriel nodded in agreement. The two turned back towards Serol with smiles. Asriel spoke, “Okay, mister Serol! We’ll do your puzzle!”

Serol’s eyes lit up with joy. He seemed to let out a squee that hissed slightly. He began to jump up and down quickly. After a few jumps, he suddenly stopped. He landed slightly off balance. He flailed his arms about to try and find his balance once more. Once he was centered, he let out a small chuckle, “Hehe. Sssorry, I wassso excited that you sssaid yess!”  
Serol turned his back to the two, but turned his head back towards Frisk and Asriel, “Come! Thisss way! Thissshould not take long!”  
Before Asriel and Frisk began to walk, they noticed something as Serol turned his back to them. There was a stump on his behind, where a tail would be. The tail appeared to have been amputated, now long since healed. Asriel put a hand to his mouth to cover a gasp. Frisk’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the stumped tail. Serol looked down at the stump and frowned, “A… a monsster tried to eat me… There’ss a reasson I’m… all alone…”  
Serol shook that memory away and smiled, “But, I’m fine now! Come on! You two have a puzzle to try sso you can go home!”


	14. Puzzle

Serol ran off in a flash at first, ahead of Frisk and Asriel. He soon realized his mistake and waited for the two in embarrassment. He began to walk with Asriel and Frisk, still leading the way despite there only being one path to take. Frisk began to look around curiously, and they saw something strange attached to a metal pillar. They squinted their eyes to get a better look. It was a broken camera. Frisk opened their eyes normally and spoke up with a raised brow, “Is that… a camera?”  
Serol perked up before he turned his head towards the camera. His expression dipped slightly, “Oh…”  
He gave a nervous laugh, “That iss... one of Dr. Gasster’ss camerass. I… I broke it ssome time ago while working on the puzzle…”  
He gulped and spoke nervously, “Pleasse don’t tell him I broke it. I’d like to ssstil be able to ssubmit thiss dessign to him, after all...”  
Asriel mirrored the worried laughter, “W-We won’t.”  
Serol smiled almost immediately, “Thankss.”

Serol led Asriel and Frisk further than they walked. They seemed to exit the tighter corridor of metal plating to a more open area. There was only one path, all else was a large pit with magma far below. The path seemed to divide into a set of twenty-five five-by-five feet squares with dormant lights on them. Beyond the twenty-five squares seemed to be space for two more rows of five, much farther than any of them could ever hope to jump. But, before all of the puzzle, along the edges of the first panels, was a small trench-like hole. None of them could see what lay inside. Frisk raised a brow after they had fully examined the puzzle, “What… kind of puzzle is this?”  
Serol approached the puzzle with a giddy smile on his face. He turned toward Asriel and Frisk, “Allow me to exssplain!”  
He motioned to the puzzle, “Oncce you sstep on any of the platformss, the puzzle will begin! You will have a limited time to sstep on all of the panelss before all panelss of the puzzle open and drop you!”  
Asriel’s eyes widen as he nearly covers his mouth, “This puzzle drops you?!”  
He turned his gaze to the side and below. He shook as he spoke, “I-into the lava?!”  
Frisk reeled slightly at the thought. Serol crooked his head in confusion for a moment. He gave a strange expression in realization before he snickered, “It will not drop you into the magma below! There iss a compartment below. Thiss puzzle iss meant to trap and sslow down humanss, not kill them.”  
Serol beckoned the children to the side of the path, “Come and ssee!”  
Asriel and Frisk approached cautiously. They turned their heads towards the side of the puzzle to see large mechanisms and a seemingly enclosed area within the mechanics. Below the puzzle was a layer of rock, about as deep as the puzzle itself. It was supported. It was safe. Asriel gave a deep sigh of relief as he saw this, “Phew…It just looks really scary from above…”  
Serol frowned, “Why would I assk ssomone to tesst ssomthing fatal?”  
Asriel gave an unsure look. He fiddled with his hands as he stepped away from the edge, “Umm… I dunno…”

Serol snickered once more for a moment. He then calmed and smiled, “Anyway… which one of you wantss to try firsst?”  
Frisk spoke nervously, they asked, “Will… the fall hurt?”  
Serol frowned and shook his head, “It’ss safe. The drop iss jusst under ten feet. You should land on your feet, and it should only hurt for a few ssecondss if at all.”  
“You promise?”  
Serol nodded, “I promisse, and I will only assk you two to go through onccce each. Iss thiss agreeable?”  
Asriel smiled softly, “Well… if it’s not dangerous… then okay!”  
Frisk nodded calmly, “It’s only once...”  
Serol smiled, “Okay! Jussstep on any panel and the puzzle will ssta-“  
He cut himself off and widened his eyes, “Wait! Hold on!”  
Serol jumped off the edge, which made Asriel panic. He instinctually called out Serol’s name in shock. Asriel and Frisk ran up toward the edge and looked over cautiously. They saw Serol slithering and gripping onto the puzzle mechanisms, safe as long as he held tight. He seemed to fiddle with a few things before a small, mechanical sound echoed for a moment. It stopped soon after. Satisfied, Serol quickly returned to the path. However, instead of joining Frisk and Asriel on their side of the puzzle, Serol slithered and crawled until he reached the opposite side of the puzzle without touching any of the puzzle panels. He returned to the path on that side of the puzzle, unharmed. That side seemed messier than the other. More notes and schematics littered the path, along with either warped or spare parts for the puzzle. Even a few substitute containers laid on their sides, obviously empty for quite some time. Serol ignored the mess and focused on the puzzle and its two testers. He gave a giddy smile towards Frisk and Asriel as he called out, “Everything iss all sset! One of you sstart when you are ready!!”  
He went to reach for something but did not immediately find it. Confused, he searched the mess around him. He tossed numerous parts and substitute cans aside. He let out an ‘ah ha!’ sound as he found what he had searched for: a notepad and a pen. He clicked the pen and opened the notepad. He was ready to write notes on the test run.

As Serol searched frantically for pen and paper, Asriel turned and smiled at Frisk, “I think… I’ll go first.”  
Frisk turned towards Asriel and frowned, “Are you sure?”  
Asriel nodded, “Yeah. Wish me luck!”  
Frisk smiled in response. Asriel became calm and turned their gaze towards the puzzle. He breathed in deeply before he expelled it to calm his nerves. He hesitated at first, but he soon gingerly stepped on the middle panel of the first row. Immediately, all the panels seemed to light up with a bright light. All except the one Asriel stood on. The one Asriel stood on began to shake. Behind Asriel, a metal-barred gate suddenly shot up from the trench-like hole, cutting off his chance to escape. Serol gave a quick nod and scribbled something onto the notepad. Asriel began to panic, “Aaaah! What do I do?!”  
Serol looked up from his notes, “Quick! Move to another panel!”  
Asriel ran to the panel to his left just before the original panel split in two and quickly opened to the area below. The new panel’s lights turned off. Asriel began to breathe quickly in panic before he noticed the panel had begun to shake as well. Asriel screamed and began to run wildly around the puzzle. He cried out, “Why do they keep shaking?!”  
Serol called out calmly as he took more notes, “It’ss part of the puzzle! It’ss to alert you to move! Hurry! Time will run out ssoon!”  
“What happens when time runs out?!”  
“You’ll sssee!”

Asriel suddenly came to a stop, in his wild run, he forgot to give any rhyme or reason to the pattern in which he ran. He had run diagonals and sharp turns and found himself trapped with open panels around him. He felt the panel shake below him, ready to open in a few seconds. Despite his legs shaking, he took the risk and jumped. Both Serol and Frisk had their eyes focused on Asriel as he jumped. But, Asriel did not jump far enough. He felt himself fall. He screamed as he descended into the mechanism and landed with a dull thud and an ‘oof!’ sound. Frisk gasped and called out, “Asriel?!”  
Serol turned his head downwards towards the puzzle, “Are you alright?”  
Asriel whined, “Yeah! Just… landed on my butt…”  
Serol nodded as he began to scribble more notes, “Good choiccce of cushion!”  
Asriel huffed, prompting a sigh of relief from Frisk. Before he could say anything, the three heard a buzzing sound. As the buzzer sounded, all of the panels opened simultaneously. They stayed open for about ten seconds before every panel, including the ones Asriel had stepped on, closed. The gate also dropped slowly, allowing Frisk entry. The puzzle had reset. Asriel whined, “How do I get out?!”  
Serol pointed his head downwards, “Do you ssee the two rows of panelss? Come to them.”  
Asriel did so, Serol could now see Asriel stand there nervously. Asriel called up, “Now what do I do?”  
Serol smiled, “There isss a release on the sside of the puzzle that would allow thosse panelss to come up. However, the panelss alsso risse when the puzzle is completed succcesssfully. Why don’t we allow Frisssk to try?”  
Asriel crossed his arms and pouted, “But, then I won’t get to see Frisk do the puzzle!”  
Serol huffed in annoyance as he put down his notepad and pen, “Fine. Ssstay sstill.”  
Serol turned his head towards Frisk, “Do not ssstart the puzzle yet!”  
Frisk nodded silently and began to space out. Serol, satisfied yet still annoyed, jumped to the side of the puzzle once more. There were a few mechanical noises before a click sounded. Mechanics whirred as the panels Asriel stood on began to rise. Surprised, he nearly fell down onto the rising platforms. The panels became level with the others and came to a stop with another click sound. Serol called out, “Go to my sside! Do not touch the other panelss, otherwisse the puzzle will sstart up again!”  
Asriel nodded silently before he walked off the panels and onto Serol’s side of the puzzle. He leaned around the edge and called out to Serol, “Okay! I’m off!”  
More mechanical sounds hummed from the puzzle before the two final rows of panels descended. The puzzle was once again reset. Serol made his way to his side of the puzzle, careful not to touch any panels. Asriel and Serol returned to the middle of the path. Serol picked up his notepad and pen before he turned the notepad to a new page. He turned his gaze towards Frisk, “Ready whenever you are Frissk!”  
Frisk blinked, their daydream ended. They called out from across the puzzle, “Okay!”

Frisk took a moment to examine the puzzle and think about its rules. They knew the puzzle would begin the very instant they stepped on any panel, as Asriel demonstrated. The panel they stepped on would shake and then open after a few seconds, which would then trap anyone that stood on them inside a lower compartment. Frisk didn’t time the entire length of the puzzle but saw there wasn’t much room for error. Frisk gave a determined gaze. They knew what to do.  
Frisk approached the leftmost panel in the first row. They stopped short of stepping onto it. They lowered their stance, ready to run. They closed their eyes and took a deep breath in before they released it just as slow. They opened their eyes, their eyes full of focus and determination. They sprinted onto the first panel. They heard the gate shoot up behind them and saw the panels all light up around them. The puzzle had begun. Frisk did not hesitate, they sprinted down the first row. They barely felt the panels below them shake as they only took a few steps before they made it to the next panel. Serol began to scribble down more notes as they saw Frisk dash across the puzzle with seeming ease. Frisk turned onto the second row and turn around to activate the entire row rather than activate the sides of the puzzle. They went for each row one by one. Serol nodded as he wrote his notes, “A good sstrategy! They are a puzzle massster!”  
Asriel raised a brow, “I… didn’t know that about them…”

As Frisk turned onto the fourth row, they felt their foot snag on the piece of loose metal. Frisk gasped before they began to fall and faceplant into the first panel of the fourth row. Asriel gasped at Frisk’s sudden fall, “Frisk!”  
Serol said nothing. He only scribbled a note before he continued to observe. Frisk groaned. They felt the panel begin to shake. Did they have enough time to move? Frisk had to try. Frisk got up as quickly as they could and began to run to the next panel. They felt the shaking stop. The panel opened under them. Frisk’s eyes widened, but they didn’t scream. They saw how close they were to the edge and grabbed onto it. Serol’s head moved forward to see what had happened, “Interesting…”  
Asriel called out, “Frisk! Are you alright!?”  
Frisk grunted as the pulled themselves up, “I’m… alright!”  
The panel they had grabbed opened, leaving only a small area to pull themselves up onto. Frisk nearly fell down as they lost the panel. They tried to pull themselves up but found that they couldn’t. With the sound of the buzzer, Frisk lost their grip and fell into the dark compartment with a worried cry. They landed on their butt, then their back. They groaned and slowly stood up. They examined their surroundings. On one side, near perfect darkness with cracks in the mechanics, where peaks of the magma’s light shined through. On the other, seemingly a way out. Two rows of panels, and above them was the only exit. Frisk could hear Asriel call from the exit, “Frisk! Are you okay?!”  
Frisk rubbed their back and answered with a slight strain in their voice, “Yeah… rough… landing…”  
Serol called out in worry, “Are you able to move, Frisssk?!”  
Frisk called out, “Yes!”  
Serol sounded pleased, “Pleasse move to the two rowss of panelss and sstay sstill!”  
Frisk made their way to the panels and waited. Serol soon helped Frisk out of the puzzle as he had done previously with Asriel. Once Frisk was off the panels, the puzzle reset with Serol’s guidance.

With the three on the opposite side of the puzzle, Serol landed near Frisk and Asriel. He beamed, “Thank you for helping me with my puzzle!”  
Frisk rubbed their back once more. Asriel frowned and looked at Frisk, “Are you sure you’re okay?”  
Frisk nodded, “Yeah… just a little pain.. it should go away soon…”  
Serol once more scooped up his notepad and began to flip through the pages, “I already know what to adjusst. I alsso will have to fix whatever you tripped on, Frissk! And find a way to keep humanss from gripping the sssidess of the panelss!”  
Frisk frowned, “Um… Serol-“  
Serol nearly jumped in excitement, “You were sssoo clossse, Frisssk! I thought for sssure you were going to massster the puzzle! You moved like an expert!”  
Frisk spoke up slightly, “Serol!”  
Serol calmed down as they turned their head curiously towards Frisk. He positioned his head in front of Frisk’s head. Serol spoke calmly, “Yess?”  
Frisk gave a determined gaze, “I want to try again.”  
Serol’s head reeled back into place slowly, “Why? Our deal wass only one try each…”  
Frisk frowned for a second. Why did they have this sudden desire to try the puzzle again? Their mind drifted to Papyrus. They knew from their short time with him that he’d be proud of this puzzle. They could practically hear his voice cheering them on, despite his weariness. Encouragement such as, ‘That was so close! I’m sure you’ll get it next time…’ Frisk could see his smile in the back of their mind. Frisk could not help but smile at the memories as they spoke, “I… I just want to try and complete it…”  
Serol scratched his chin, “Hmm… I ssupposse it would be good to sssee if thiss puzzle can be completed fairly…”  
Serol nodded and smiled, “Okay! Let’ss do it!”

Frisk then looked over toward the other side. They raised a brow, “But… how do I get over there?”  
Serol crossed his arms and huffed slightly, “If I had my tail, I could carry you over with easse. But then again... you don’t look that heavy…”  
Frisk gave Serol a strange look, but before they or Asriel could react, Serol wrapped his arms around Frisk tightly. Asriel and Frisk’s eyes widened in tandem, and both were equally paralyzed in shock. Serol held Frisk tightly before he jumped across the puzzle, easily making it across in one jump. Serol let go of Frisk after the two had landed safely. Frisk’s expression was still one of shock and fear as Serol let go. Serol crooked his head in confusion, “Wasss… it that ssurprissing?”  
Frisk blinked and shook their head. Their heart pounded in fear, but their expression was calmed. Frisk gave a nervous expression, “A little…”  
Serol snickered, “I used to be able to jump much farther with the assssissstancce of my tail.”  
Frisk nearly paled at the thought of Serol’s potential mobility. Serol’s eyes widened slightly, “Are you alright? Are you sure that fall did not harm you?”  
Frisk normalized and shook their head. There was already enough strangeness to this situation. For a moment, Frisk regretted the desire to redo the puzzle. Frisk’s skin returned to normal as they shook their head, “I think… I was still shocked from the sudden jump.”  
Serol let loose a sigh of relief, “Thank goodnesss… you sscared me for a ssecond…”  
Serol turned towards the other side of the puzzle, “Ssstart whenever you are ready.”  
Frisk nodded just before Serol jumped across the puzzle one last time. Asriel quickly gave Serol his notepad back on arrival. Serol beamed at the gesture, “Thank you, Asssriel!”

Frisk saw Asriel and Serol patiently wait on the other side of the puzzle. Frisk decided to start at the same spot as their first attempt. They took another deep breath in and out. Serol nodded and muttered, “Sstarting in the ssame placce? Let uss hope it is not inssanity…”  
Frisk began the puzzle. They ignored everything around them other than the puzzle panels. Asriel’s cheers were drowned out in their concentration. Only the panels existed. They turned and went down the next row with ease and the next. They came to the fourth row. Their eyes locked onto the piece of metal that tripped them up. They moved their feet in such a way as they wouldn’t have to jump over the metal. They simply ran beside it. They felt their pants tear slightly, but they kept going. They made it to the final row. They could see the final panel. They ran to it. They stopped on it. A new sound rang. A chiming sound. All the panels around them closed and the mechanics began to whir. In front of them, the two rows of panels rose and connected the path. Not with Serol’s guidance. Serol and Asriel both beamed. Serol rushed up to Frisk with unbridled glee. They hugged Frisk and spun them around, “IT WORKSSS!!”  
He gave a burst of joyous, raucous laughter. Asriel slowly began to walk towards the two. Serol slowed down as Asriel approached. Both of them paused, their eyes filled with shock. Serol’s were more filled with confusion than shock. Frisk raised a brow, “Serol? What is?-“  
They felt it. Wetting their sock and making their pants cling to them. They were bleeding. Serol looked down at Frisk in shock as they still clutched them. The blood was clearly in their gaze. His voice was quiet, filled with confusion, “F-Frissk? You’re… human?”


	15. Trades and Webs

There was deafening silence between Frisk, Asriel, and Serol for a few moments. Fear bloomed in Frisk and Asriel’s faces. Serol had been docile thus far, but now that blood was in his sight, the two didn’t know how he would react. Frisk wanted to squirm, to attempt to worm away from Serol’s grasp, but they knew at the back of their mind it would be of little use. Serol was a quick and agile monster, after all.  
After a few moments, Asriel quickly cried out, “Mr… Mr. Serol!”  
Serol shook his head for a moment, his eyes no longer focused on the blood. He turned his head towards Asriel and spoke, “You knew that Frissk wass human-“  
Asriel interrupted, “Please don’t hurt them! They just wanna go home!”  
Asriel sniffled, “They just… wanna go home…”  
Serol let Frisk go in his surprise. Frisk only took a few steps from Serol. They gave a dejected frown. They knew they were at his mercy. Serol turned towards Asriel, “Asssriel… you know I have to report thisss. If I have any hope of Dr. Gassster approving my desssign I have to turn Frissk over to him.”  
Tears peaked from Asriel’s eyes, “No, please… you can’t…”  
His eyes lit up with tears still dripping, “W-wait!”  
He frantically dug into his coat pockets and fished out his substitute container. He held it up towards Serol. It shook in his hands as he did and a slight rattle sounded from the container. Serol could not help but eye the container deeply. Through a slight sniffle, Asriel spoke defiantly, “I-I’ll give you all of my substitute if you don’t tell anyone about Frisk! Not Mr. Gaster. Not King Sans. Not anyone!”

Serol, Frisk, and Asriel stood in silence once more. Both Frisk and Serol were shocked at Asriel’s gambit. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Serol reached for the container but hesitated. Small bits of saliva dripped from his mouth. He shook his head for a moment and turned his gaze towards Frisk. Frisk looked away and shook slightly. Serol’s expression became gentler for a moment. Frisk could see his sympathy for them out of the corner of their vision. Serol’s head curved down and he gave a heavy sigh, “You asssk me to give up a lot for thiss. Frissk iss the firsst human we’ve heard of for a long time.”  
Asriel frowned, “But… they’re just a kid…”  
Serol tensed at Asriel’s statement. He spat back harshly, “I KNOW!”  
Both Asriel and Frisk took a step back from the seething monster as he took a few moments to calm down. Asriel frowned and looked down with a dejected grimace, “You promised that if we tested the puzzle… you would take us to the elevator.”  
Serol stared into space with a shocked expression. His body was tense before he raised his head above his shoulders. He gave a defeated sigh, “I did…”  
Serol spoke, dejected, “I made a deal… I’ll get in trouble either way. But…”  
Serol’s words trailed off. Frustration seeped into his gaze. He curled slightly and began to hug himself. Even Frisk could not help but give a sympathetic gaze. Serol soon relaxed. He spoke evenly, “I… ssuppossse there will be other humansss… asss long asss they do not get eaten by feral monssstersss.”  
Serol turned towards the exit to his puzzle, “Perhapss it isss time I sstop ssequesstering mysself and help find humanss when they fall.”  
Serol turned his head back towards the children, “I will not lie. Thiss… iss difficult for me…But I will hold true to my promissse. I will take you two to the nearesst elevator.”  
Serol turned his head back. Asriel approached Serol carefully. He stepped to Serol’s side and saw a tear shed from the serpentine monster’s never-blinking eyes. Asriel held up his container of substitute up to Serol. Asriel gulped, “I… I know this isn’t a human… But… maybe this will make it a little better?”  
Serol’s eyes locked onto the container. He gently gripped it and lifted it from Asriel’s hands. He examined it for a few moments before he opened it. The aroma hit him immediately; he instinctually cracked a smile. He found the container was nearly full. Satisfied, he closed the container and gave a half-smile to Asriel, “Only a little, but… I still appreciate thisss. I hope you know what you are doing, Asssriel.”  
Asriel gave a serious expression and nodded, “It’s okay.”  
His expression became more nervous, “I’m… not good about taking my medicine anyway.”  
Serol gave a puzzled expression before he shook it off; he decided not to ask.

He turned towards Frisk. He spoke gently, “Frissk, we should tend to that wound before you go. It may be ssmall, but it is sstill blood.”  
Frisk approached with caution. Serol and Asriel stepped off the puzzle. Serol placed the substitute container among his blueprints and notes, pinning some of them down. He then motioned towards a medium-sized rock, “Ssit here and hold that leg sstill.”  
Frisk slowly made their way to the rock Serol pointed out and sat carefully. They lifted the wounded leg. Serol grasped it carefully. Frisk tensed for a moment but relaxed soon after. Serol lifted the leg to a level position and rested the heel on his knee. He took a claw and began to cut Frisk’s pants above the rip and the blood stain. After he cut, he quickly chucked the bloodstained cloth off the side of the path towards the magma below. Serol paused for a moment before he spoke, “I am going to cut the pantss of your other leg to match, but you will need to throw away that ssock below the cut asss well.”  
Frisk nodded silently before they switched their leg on Serol’s knee. Serol lifted the pants up to avoid another cut into Frisk’s legs. It took some effort, but Serol made a new cut into Frisk’s pants and began to mirror the cut on Frisk’s other pants leg. Serol then fashioned the new scrap cloth into a bandage and tightly wrapped it around Frisk’s wound. He lowered Frisk’s now bandaged leg carefully and stepped away. He quickly grabbed his new container of substitute and ate two pills in a few bites. Frisk, meanwhile, took off their shoe and sock before they threw the sock behind them and into the magma below. They put their shoe back on, thankful blood had not hit it. Asriel helped Frisk up, “Ready to go?”  
Frisk nodded, their tone weary, “Yeah.”  
Serol nodded, “Then follow me. The elevator iss thiss way.”

Frisk and Asriel followed behind Serol in silence. The three of them said nothing to each other as Serol led them through the winding paths of Hotland. Once the elevator was in sight, Asriel’s eyes lit up, “The elevator!”  
Asriel turned to Frisk, “You’ll be home soon for sure!”  
Frisk could only marvel at the height of the elevator. It appeared to go up into the darkness above, unable to see the top with only the light of the magma.  
The three approach the elevator. Asriel rushes ahead and presses the call button for the elevator. Frisk hugged themselves and spoke quietly, “Serol?”  
Serol turned his head towards Frisk, confused, “Yess, Frissk?”  
Frisk hesitated before they spoke, “About Papyrus… he’s alive.”  
Serol stepped back. His perpetually opened eyes widened as far as they could. Serol spoke, “You… you cannot be ssseriousss!”  
Asriel turned towards the conversation with a brow raised. Frisk turned towards Serol and spoke up, “It is true! He’s in the ruins in the forest before Snowdin!”  
Serol gave a perplexed look, “He’ss… in the ruinss of Home?”  
Serol crossed his arms and mused aloud, “That can’t… but we haven’t heard anything from Home in many yearss…”  
Frisk continued calmly. A warm sense of nostalgia washed over them as they recounted, “I… I fell in the ruins… and it was his notes… and after I found him, his encouragement through his puzzles that helped me survive. He was kind… but he was lonely… and some things made him sad…”  
Frisk hugged themselves, the warm feeling faded from their chest, “He… he told me to leave… and be careful out here… and warned me about Sans…”  
Frisk was about to continue, but they saw tears drip from Serol’s eyes. They looked up at Serol and saw him attempt to wipe the tears away with his claws. He managed to fight the lump in his throat and hoarsely speak, “He’sss alive! He’sss alive and sstill making puzzless!”  
Serol gulped down the lump in his throat and spoke clearly, “Thank you, Frissk! I’ll sseek him out! Perhapss he can share what happened that night! Maybe he would appreciate my dessignss!”

The elevator doors opened. Serol ignored it and began to muse under his breath, fully invested in his words, “I will have to prepare my dessignss, and perhapss bring a gift! Sso much to do!”  
Asriel gave a nervous laugh, “Golly… well… good luck with that… Mr. Serol.”  
Serol barely acknowledged the two children as they entered the elevator and the doors closed behind him. There was silence for a moment between the two. Asriel smiled, “That was nice of you to tell-“  
Frisk threw themselves onto Asriel, pulling him into a deep hug. Asriel coughed, startled at the strength of the hug. He tried to pull away, “Wh-why are-“  
Frisk spoke in a somber tone, “You saved my life back there.”  
Asriel became quiet before he gently reciprocated the hug. He spoke calmly, “I just… I didn’t think…”  
Frisk pulled away, “But… you don’t have your medicine now!”  
Asriel pulled away and smiled. His tone sounded a little weary, “Chara makes more all the time! I’ll be fine.”  
Frisk raised a brow but accepted this. They looked towards the buttons of the elevator. They crooked their head in confusion, “Which button do we press?”  
Asriel scratched his head, “Gosh… It’s been so long since I’ve used this elevator… I know it’s one of the top buttons… but I don’t remember which one…”  
“But, both go to the top floor, right? And that’s where we’re going, right?”  
Asriel nodded, “Yeah! So, I guess it really doesn’t matter which one!”  
Asriel pressed the left-top button. The elevator began to move steadily upwards. Asriel smiled, “So, Chara said we’d have to go through the Core. I think I remember hearing my dad say there was a door in the Core that led to the castle.”  
“But you don’t know where it is?”  
Asriel shook his head, “No.”  
Frisk paled slightly, “What if… Chara knows and they’re waiting there?”  
Asriel frowned and thought silently for a moment. He spoke in an unsure tone at first, which quickly turned confident, “Well… um… If that happens, we’ll just find some way to distract them!”  
The elevator stopped and slowly opened. Asriel and Frisk paused their conversation to exit and take a look at their new surroundings.

They stood on a sturdy and thick metal path. On and around the path was a sea of spider webs that continued into the darkness. Barely any light of the magma could be seen from below, both from the distance and from the sea of webs. Yet, there were carefully placed oil lamps along the path to ensure enough light. Spiders of varied sizes, though none bigger than a finger, crawled along the webs. Many spun more or worked to strengthen the ones that were already spun. Asriel became more nervous as the two stepped out onto this web-filled area. He raised a brow and spoke in confusion, “I… I don’t remember this place…”  
Frisk began to eye the spiders nervously. Frisk quietly admitted with a quiver in their voice, “I… I don’t like spiders…”  
The elevator doors closed without Frisk and Asriel inside. Once closed, the two turned with a small start. They could now see messages etched into the door of the elevator. Curious, the two examined them. The messages were one-word messages that read, “Swindler.” “Liar.” And “Fake.”  
Frisk began to shake, “We… should get out of here…”  
Asriel nodded and pushed the call button for the elevator, “We’ll just press the other button.”  
Frisk eyed their surroundings nervously. They noticed further along the path was a pile of wood, one that seemed to be a counter of sorts before it was utterly destroyed. Frisk turned back towards the elevator and voiced their concern, “Why aren’t the doors opening?”  
Asriel whined, “S- someone else must have called the elevator…”  
Out of the corners of their eyes, Frisk and Asriel noticed that the spiders had taken notice of the two of them. Some approached, while others stood still in observation. Frisk yelped and hid behind Asriel. Frisk pleaded as they shook and clung to Asriel’s coat, “M-make them go away!”  
Asriel hesitated; they wanted to comfort Frisk but knew the only way was to stop the spiders from closing in. He took a deep breath and turned forward. He raised his voice, “We just wanna leave! Go away! W-we won’t bother you, so go away!”  
Some of the encroaching spiders halted their advance, but others did not. The ones that paused soon followed suit as though nothing had transpired. Frisk hid their face in Asriel’s coat, “Th-they’re not stopping!”  
Asriel gulped, but stood his ground once more, “Just- just stop! Go away!”  
The spiders approached from all sides, even from behind. The spiders behind reached Frisk and began to crawl up their leg. Frisk yelped slightly and froze for a second. They could feel the spiders crawl up their unbandaged leg. They shook as they slowly looked down, tears peaked from their eyes. They saw the spiders, the furthest was halfway up their calf. Frisk screamed at the top of their lungs. They instinctually jumped into Asriel, knocking him over onto his chest. Meanwhile, Frisk tried desperately to kick off the spiders that had crawled up their leg. Tears streamed down their face, wide and full of terror. Frisk managed to kick all of the spiders off their leg and began to stomp on them. Their stomps rung into the metal platform. Asriel groaned and managed to get up on his knees. He blinked and noticed his fall had crushed many of the spiders that approached him. He noticed the spiders had halted their approach, many had scurried away from Frisk’s freighted stomps. Those that were too close were crushed under Frisk’s shoes.

After a few moments of fear-fueled stomps, Frisk slowly huffed. Their fear slowly drained from their face and their mind became clear once more. Asriel stood and approached Frisk cautiously, “Are you... okay?”  
Once Asriel was close, the two of them heard many hissing sounds around them. Frisk shook and immediately burrowed into Asriel’s chest and grabbed his hands for comfort. Asriel looked around and saw the spiders had surrounded them, many of them hissed at the two. Many of them begun to turn around and webs shot out at Asriel and Frisk. The webs attached to various points on Frisk and Asriel’s bodies. Frisk panicked and tried to rip the webs away, but for each one they ripped away, at least five took its place. Before long, Asriel and Frisk could barely move. They were slowly encased in a cocoon from the shoulders down. Asriel was still, yet Frisk still tried to break free. Their eyes wide, crazed, and fearful. Asriel spoke in a defeated tone, “It’s no use, Frisk…”  
Frisk expression drew away from their crazed expression into a subtler fear. Tears streamed from Frisk’s eyes.  
The spiders grouped together and shot webs into the side of the cocoon as one large rope of webs. The group of spiders then seemed to pull on the rope and pull Frisk and Asriel deeper into this dark area of Hotland. They were swung over gaps and pulled through webs, which added to the cocoon only a small amount. They were pulled onto higher platforms by other spiders up higher. All the while, Frisk silently shook and sobbed, yet Asriel appeared only nervous.

After a while, they were pulled to a stop on a mid-level platform, one that was furnished with a few couches with heavy threads thrown over them. All of them appeared old, some quite worn. Yet the fabric of the couches was kept in a good condition. In one large ostentatious chair, sat a figure, barely seen in the low light of this apparent parlor. The figure noticed the two being dragged into the parlor and stood. It spoke in a feminine voice, “So these are the nasty spider killers. Ahuhu, they’re so young.”

The figure approached and the nearby lights illuminated the figure. She was young in appearance, yet held many scars upon her lilac flesh. There was a large scar across one of her five black, pupil-less eyes, the second to her left. What would be six arms was instead five, as the middle arm on her right side was missing. It was a bandaged stump about halfway to the elbow. Her hair was down, brushed down behind her shoulders. It was encased in a web-patterned loose hairnet that was supported by a cloth purple hairband across the top of her forehead. Her clothes were full of purple and pinks, a cute design, yet comfortable looking despite the poofs on her shoulders and pants. She also wore black tights and matching black closed-toed shoes.  
She smirked and flashed her sharp fangs, “Such naughty little children!~ Ahuhuhu~”  
Frisk’s eyes widened at the fangs, but they said nothing as small tears continued down their face. Asriel pleaded quietly, “Please… Frisk was just scared! We didn’t mean it! We asked them to stop approaching but they didn’t!”  
Muffet crossed her two lower arms and glared at a group of spiders. She spoke strictly, “Is this true, dearies?”  
A few of the spiders let out strange, quiet noises that Asriel and Frisk were barely able to hear. Muffet huffed, “Well! Now it’s understandable! I appreciate you all trying to protect me, but there is a line!”  
Frisk’s tears halted; they raised a brow in confusion. Meanwhile, Muffet turned back to Asriel and Frisk and clapped her top two hands with a slightly apologetic expression, “I’m so sorry, dearies! Things have been a little… aggressive here… so some of them can be aggressive in kind.”  
She snapped her fingers, “Untie these two little ones! Right. Now!”

The spiders moved towards the cocoon. Frisk began to whine and shake again. Muffet noticed this and approached with a calming voice, “Shhh, it’s okay. They’re just going to free you. Are you scared of spiders, dearie?”  
Frisk sniffled and nodded silently. Muffet frowned and gently patted Frisk’s head, “Well, my previous business ventures are no fault of my spiders. They shouldn’t bite unless I tell… them… to…”  
Her words trailed off. She began to sniff the air around Frisk and Asriel. She began to sniff madly, “D-do you have some of the substitute on you?! Where is… no… This is stronger than that substitute…”  
She nearly burrowed her nose into Frisk’s neck, which made them shake and give a face of disgust. She took a deep sniff before she pulled away with a curled smirk. She placed her chin to one of the palms of her hands, supported by another hand. She spoke, “Actually dearies… only let the goat-boy go… we found a human in our web.”  
She licked her lips and eyed Frisk greedily. Both Asriel’s and Frisk’s eyes widened in fear.


	16. Reunion in Webs

Asriel cried out, “No! You let Frisk go, too!”  
Muffet raised a few brows at Asriel, “Now, why would I do that? I have something better than that stingy skeleton’s substitute! He can keep it!”  
Muffet gasped in realization and clasped her hands together for a moment, “Wait…”  
A joyous smile grew onto her face, “I can make my own!”  
Muffet giggled and spoke in awe to herself, “And I can make it better! With a real human, everyone will want my substitute! That’ll show him!”

Both Frisk and Asriel shared a worried gaze, a knowing one. Muffet suddenly held her face close to Frisk. She gently cradled Frisk’s face with her two lower hands, “You may have been clever hiding your scent with…”  
She turned her face away for a moment and gagged. She shook the hands she touched Frisk with. Tiny flakes of dust fell off her hands. She stressed her next word with disgust, “ _Dust_.”  
She normalized and pinched Frisk’s cheeks, “But now, you’ll bring my business back!”  
Frisk was still, tears resumed their trickle down their face. Just when they thought they could finally escape from this hell, they were caught once again. They could do nothing but weep in silence, unable to move in the cocoon of webs.

Suddenly, they felt it; their hands able to move slightly as the webs around Asriel were unspun. Asriel fell onto the metal platform with a thud. Asriel slowly stood as he heard Muffet speak in a pleasant voice, “Now, off you go, dearie! If you’re around here again, I might consider giving you a slight discount for bringing this human to me!~”  
Asriel stood and dusted the remaining webs off his fur. He noticed Muffet now had her lower hands firmly holding onto Frisk’s cocoon. She began to ignore Asriel, as Frisk began an attempt to move their hands. She huffed, “Now, now. There’ll be none of that.”  
She snapped her fingers. The spiders began to shoot webs on Frisk’s hands. As this was happening, Asriel called to Muffet, “H-Hey!’  
Muffet raised a brow at Asriel and spoke with a dismissive annoyance, “You’re still here? Dearie, I can’t give you an advanced order, nor a price until I start making my product.”  
Asriel puffed his cheeks and stomped, “Frisk is not a product! Let them go! I’m sick and tired of everyone trying to kill them!”  
Muffet snickered in disbelief, “Oh, dearie, I’m not trying to kill them.”  
Asriel relaxed slightly before he heard Muffet’s next words, “If I killed them, I would only have one round of the substitute! That would be bad for business! Especially if I’m competing against the Royal Scientist!”  
Asriel’s expression dropped to horror with every word Muffet spoke. His fur stood on end and his mouth gaped. He stood there, unsure of what to do. He soon saw a pleading gaze from Frisk. Muffet began to shoo him away with a wave of her hand, “Now, shoo. Or I’ll have my spiders escort you out.”  
Asriel clenched his hands tightly before he rushed up, “No!”  
He began to tear into the cocoon. A few of Frisk’s fingers could move once more. Muffet gasped then hissed, “How dare you!”  
She quickly pushed him away from the cocoon. He landed roughly on his side. She hissed once more, “You are banned from my business! You’ll never taste even a drop of its blood!”  
The spiders around them began to hiss. Many moved their legs, ready to rush Asriel at Muffet’s order. Asriel curled in slightly, now nervous of the spiders around him. He heard Muffet order him calmly, “This is your last warning. Get. Out. Or they will make you.”

Asriel stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to do. He didn’t want to leave Frisk with Muffet, especially after all they went through. Yet, Asriel didn’t know how much his fire could do. He felt weak, both physically and magically. He stood there, truly at a loss at what he could do. Before he could move or answer, he heard spiders hiss. He shook and closed his eyes. He braced for an attack. But none came. He heard Muffet voice confusion, “Dearies? What’s going on down there?”  
Asriel opened his eyes. He realized the hissing was not from around him, but from below. He looked over at Muffet to see her approach the side of the platform. Asriel then heard the spiders below fire their webs for a few moments. A pause. Then the sound of spiders skittering across metal. Metal footsteps, and a familiar sound; a wave of a knife. Muffet gasped, “An intruder!”  
She loudly commanded, “CAPTURE IT!!” 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Where are they?” Chara muttered to themselves quietly. They arrived at the top floor of Hotland some time ago, and yet they’ve found no clues of Asriel and Frisk reaching the top. Chara became a little antsy; they had much to consider. First, the two could be lost in the areas below. They put this scenario aside quickly; if that were true, no doubt Gaster would have seen them through the cameras. He would have swooped in a stolen their kill by now. Monsterkind would have been freed and rushing towards the now opened barrier. Chara pushed that thought aside for now; there were other ideas. Secondly, the two could have encountered a monster. This was much more likely. However, the problem was that the two could have run into any monster in Hotland. Some are weak, others have gone feral. It all depends on where the two are.

Their eyes narrowed as a new thought crossed their mind. Asgore had warned them of pressing one particular button in the Hotland elevators. The top left button. They remembered him telling them about a monster that had been ostracized and fled to a corner of Hotland. Chara’s already pale face paled even more as a thought crossed their mind. A terrible thought. The thought of Asriel being with that monster, and Frisk. They clenched one of their fists tightly; it was a risk, but they had to check. They relaxed before they took a deep breath. They closed their eyes and clenched the locket around their neck. Only one thought repeated in their mind. For Asriel. Over, and over again. They released the locket and relaxed their arm. They began to walk carefully, their steps light. A hand hovered above their knife, ready to grasp it. The burn on their left arm still pulsed with a dulled pain, Chara was careful not to wince. They heard footsteps as they went, the top floor was the most traveled after all. With the steps, their head darted in anticipation of the source. Yet, the sources were far off, as few traveled this corner of Hotland nowadays.

Chara saw many signs pop up ahead of them. One read, “Muffet’s Parlor. Entry Forbidden.” Another read, “Let her starve and die.”  
Other such signs appeared, only a few of them were polite. Many called for her death or the hopes of her being devoured. Chara took another deep breath as they passed the signs. They knew the risk.

Chara eventually saw a doorway, one almost completely encased in spider webs. No other way past this web-coated wall could be seen through the low light. Chara noticed another sign written in near scribbles. They scanned and silently read it, “If you’re going in, you better kill her.”  
Chara turned their attention towards the webs. There was a thin path that weaved through the webs. They frowned; no doubt it was a trap. They unsheathed their knife. They began to slash the webs away. With every few slashes, they stepped forth into the webs. After a dozen steps, they were nearly through the entryway. They heard hissing from the other side. Chara immediately tensed. They instinctually readied their magic but felt little magic come to them. Not enough. They let out a ‘tch’ sound and gritted their teeth. The old fashion way it was, then. They lowered their stance and readied their knife. They made one final slash. They then jumped back, unsure of what was on the other side of the now torn webs. Webs shot onto the spot they had stood upon a mere second ago. Chara knew if they stepped forward, they would have been caught in the webs. The webs did not stop for a few moments. Once the spiders realized there was no prey in their grasp, they all stopped their spray. Some hissed, but Chara heard many of them begin to skitter across the metal. Chara did not notice any large steps. They smirked before they rushed past the webs and into the webbed domain. Immediately, a group of spiders jumped at them. Chara slashed and whacked them out of the air. They heard a gasp from above accompanied by a shocked voice, “An intruder!”  
Chara looked up to see a monster on the platform far above. One that was described to them. Muffet. Chara heard them shout down towards them, “CAPTURE IT!!”  
Chara smirked and muttered, “Try it.”

The spiders moved to surround Chara while many shot webs at them. Chara dodged and moved towards the platform. They heard a voice from above, one they knew extremely well. Asriel. He spoke in worry, “Chara?! Is that you!?”  
Chara could not help but speak, “Asriel! Stay there! I’m coming to get you!”  
Chara felt a few strands of webbing hit them, but they quickly moved and snapped them. Chara dodged and looked around for anything that could get them up to the platform. It appeared to be held aloft with many strong webs, some reached to the floor they stood on. Their eyes focused. This would work. They rushed towards the webs and slowly began to climb it. They heard Muffet chuckle, “Well, well! It’s going to deliver itself to me! Hold on, dearies!”  
Chara noticed the webs stopped being shot at them. A chill ran down their spine. A feeling welded in their gut. Something was very wrong.

Once they reached the top, their suspicions were confirmed. With the lower two of her left hands, Muffet held Asriel’s hands behind his back. He struggled against her with tears in his eyes. His sadness turned to shock at the sight of Chara. They audibly gasped, Chara’s wound now in sight, “Chara… your… your arm!”  
To Muffet’s right, was Frisk, cocooned within webs. Frisk saw Chara climb onto the platform. There was a strange mixture of emotions on their face. Chara desired their death, but Muffet wanted to sell them off in parts. Frisk doubted she could keep them alive.

Chara’s eyes could not help but widen at the sight of Asriel captured. They narrowed at the sight of Frisk’s capture. This was bad. Chara _needed_ both Asriel and Frisk. Chara reached for their knife, but Muffet spoke, “Uh-uh, dearie. You won’t be needing that knife.”  
Chara halted their hand. They noticed the spiders around them. All of the said spiders were raring to attack Chara at a moment’s notice. Muffet smirked at the pause. She placed her top left hand on Asriel’s head, “Not if you want your little friend to live.”  
Chara’s eyes flashed with magic for a moment. Still not enough. They tightened their fists and spoke darkly, “Let him go. Now.”  
Muffet chuckled, “You’re not in a position to make demands, dearie.”  
She patted Frisk’s cocoon, “I have all the cards.”

She narrowed her eyes at Chara, “You hide your face behind that hood…”  
A smirk dawned on her face, “I wonder why…”  
She snapped her fingers, “The hood.”  
Before Chara could react, several webs attached to their hood. They quickly pulled the webs off but pulled the hood off with them. Muffet’s gaze switched between Frisk and Chara. She giggled with a coy smile, “Awfully similar… You’re human!”  
She clapped her top hands together, “I think we can make a little deal. You care for this little monster, right?”  
Chara didn’t respond verbally. They clenched their teeth and their fist. Muffet responded, “I’ll take that as a yes.~”  
She patted Asriel’s head. Asriel instinctually shook before she spoke, “If you drop that little weapon and give yourself to me, I’ll let him go. Sound fair?”  
Asriel whimpered, tears rolled down their fur, “Chara-”  
Muffet gave a cross expression before she batted Asriel on the nose, “No hints!”  
A small whine escaped Asriel. He cowered away from Muffet slightly. Once Asriel was hit, Chara’s expression immediately dropped to a seething anger, “DON’T YOU DARE HIT HIM!”

Chara drew their knife and charged Muffet. Consequences be damned; no one hurts Asriel. Muffet’s eyes widened at the movements. She never expected this. Her voice wavered for a moment, “S-stop them!”  
The spiders began to shoot at Chara, but Chara ducked and weaved through the web shots. Muffet stepped back. She took her hands off of Frisk’s cocoon and Asriel. Her eyes widened in fear. Her eyes darted between Frisk and Asriel quickly. Both were still immobile; Frisk was ensnared, while Asriel cowered on his knees. Muffet was quick to decide. She clung to Frisk’s cocoon and shrieked, “P-Pet! Lunch!”  
A roar came from the webs below. Asriel shook and cowered even more, his head now on the platform. Chara did not pay attention to this noise, focused only on Muffet. They reached Muffet and began to swing at her. Muffet yelped and ducked around Frisk’s cocoon for cover. Chara’s knife sunk into the cocoon. Frisk yelped but did not feel the knife pierce them, much to their relief. Chara removed the knife from the cocoon to make another swing towards Muffet. The two ducked and slashed around the cocoon until Chara heard a large chittering sound. Behind Muffet, a large monster emerged from under the platform. A large muffin-like monster with spider qualities such as legs and a large, sharply fanged mouth. The muffin-spider roared at Chara and charged them. Chara’s eyes widened at the creature. They dodged out of the way. The muffin-spider stood between Muffet and Chara and hissed at Chara. Muffet giggled and pet the muffin-spider, “Good pet. Now, try to only knock them unconscious.”  
Chara stepped back a few steps. They bumped into Asriel, who was still on the floor. They let out a small, confused noise before they turned their gaze downward, “Asriel.”  
Asriel opened an eye and relaxed slightly. Chara quickly helped Asriel up and spoke, “Climb the webs to the platform below. Now.”  
Asriel was about to speak, but their thought was interrupted by the roar of the muffin-spider. It charged towards the two of them. Chara yelled aggressively, “GO. NOW!”  
Asriel whined as he ran towards the edge of the platform. He was careful in his descent, hesitant to begin it at all. He took one last look towards Chara and saw them fully invested in their fight. Asriel frowned and descended from the platform carefully.

Chara rolled and dodged out of the way of the muffin-spider. The muffin-spider hissed and halted their advance a few steps after they would have hit Chara. Chara quickly slid to the muffin-spider’s left side. With their knife in hand as they slid, they cut into two of the muffin-spider’s legs. The spider-muffin roared in pain. The injured legs curled inwards instinctually. It turned itself towards Chara and attacked with a right leg. Chara, on their back, parried the leg with their knife. The muffin-spider tried to attack with another right leg, but Chara rolled to the side to avoid it. They used this roll to stand themselves up quickly. They ran to the spider’s right side and slashed into the two front legs of its right side. The muffin-spider cried out in pain before it fell to the ground on its belly. Chara smirked; this would work. They quickly used this opportunity to cut off all the muffin-spider’s legs on its right side. More chitters of pain echoed. It writhed with the two legs on its left side, but could not move its body with them. Chara moved over to the left side and quickly hacked off the remaining legs. The muffin-spider tried to bite at Chara, but Chara took a step back and it landed on its face, unable to move. Chara smirked, “Nothing but a useless bug, now…”

Chara turned their attention back to Muffet. Muffet shook at Chara’s gaze, however, the spiders had fashioned a swing of webs for her to sit on. The spiders also attached a few large ropes of webs near the top of Frisk’s cocoon. Muffet let out a nervous chuckle, “You-you’re bad stock, anyway…”  
She waved with a lower hand and smiled, “Bye!~”  
The webbed ropes began to slowly move upwards. Chara acted quickly and charged. They tried to summon their magic once more to no avail. They growled lightly; they would just have to make it in time. Thankfully for them, the ropes did not rise quickly. Muffet called above, “H-Hurry! Pull me faster!”  
Chara was quick to catch up to Muffet. With their free hand, they pulled Muffet down from her webbed swing by her leg. Muffet shrieked as she was pulled down to the platform roughly. She landed square on her back with an ‘oof’ sound before her head roughly hit the metal platform. She became dazed as Chara stood above them, knife in hand. Muffet’s focus returned in time to see Chara raise their knife above their head. A crazed expression on their face. Muffet gasped, but before she could move, Chara plunged the knife deep into her chest. She shrieked in pain before Chara removed the knife and stabbed her again. And again. And again. Each stab Chara tried to cut deeper than the last. Tears streamed from all of Muffet’s eyes, and when she couldn’t scream, she only whimpered. After fifteen stabs, Muffet became silent before she disappeared to dust with the sixteenth stab. Chara took a few moments, their breath heavy. The crazed expression never left their face, but a crazed smirked curled onto it in satisfaction of their kill.


	17. Dark Words

After a few moments, Chara took a deep breath. The adrenaline in their blood slowly faded. The smirk across their face uncurled. Their shoulders relaxed. The fog of rage parted; their mind could focus once more. Their eyes drifted first to the muffin-spider. It whimpered and whined over the violent death of its master. Chara shot a glare at the legless creature. It shook and let out a strange, scared chitter. A small smirk flashed on Chara’s face for a moment before it faded to a focused frown. They turned their eyes towards Frisk’s cocoon, suspended just out of their reach. The options weighed in their mind. Magic was still out of the question as they still had no energy to tap into. The thought of throwing their knife up there crossed their mind, but it was a risk. Frisk could catch it and use it against them. It was possible Frisk knew about more than running and manipulating Asriel. Another path dawned on them. They relaxed and called to the spiders above, “Your master is dust. You have no reason to hold onto that human. Release them.”  
There were a few moments of hesitation. Silence. After a few moments, Frisk’s cocoon was lowered slowly onto the platform. Frisk was nervous, their head barely able to turn towards Chara. Chara approached the cocoon. They noticed Frisk’s face was wet with tears and their eyes were swollen and red. Chara also noticed Frisk’s hands peaked through the webs, with signs that Frisk had begun to tear their way out. Chara was relieved they didn’t try to toss the knife up towards Frisk. Chara drew their own knife and spoke firmly, “Keep still.”  
Frisk sniffled slightly. They sounded confused, “You’re not gonna-ah! Ah!”  
Chara had begun to cut into the webs, a few cuts were close to Frisk’s hands. Chara rolled their eyes, “I barely grazed you. You will have much worse after Dr. Gaster has secured you in a safe location.”  
Their tone darkened, they glared at Frisk, “Then I will kill you.”  
Frisk shook slightly. They turned their gaze away from Chara as they continued to cut Frisk free. Soon, the cocoon was cut through just enough for Frisk to wriggle out of it. Frisk went to move away from the mass of webs, but Chara grabbed their arm. Chara pulled them from the webbed mass. Chara twisted Frisk’s arm backwards behind their back. Frisk whined quickly, “Ow, ow ow!”  
Chara spoke darkly, “I do not know what you did to Rei to turn him into your little shield, but it will work no longer. Once I call Dr. Gaster, your fate is sealed. I may only get one stab, but I shall make that last eruption of pain you feel sting with such intensity, your soul will feel it until it is used to break our prison.”  
More tears peaked from Frisk’s eyes as they quietly sobbed, “Why are you doing this to me?”  
Chara pushed Frisk forward. Frisk nearly fell over. They flailed their arms as they tried to readjust their balance. Chara spoke bluntly, “Is it not obvious? I have said it before; we are the only two unclaimed human souls in the underground. Dr. Gaster has claimed six others. To break the barrier, he needs seven. Either I die and become the final soul, or you do.”  
Chara reached into their pockets, “I choose to survive. You run and manipulate, and yet it was not enough.”  
Chara pulled out their flip phone and opened it. Frisk noticed the phone and shook once more. Chara gave a grumble and frowned deeply. Annoyance crept into their tone and expression, “Of course there is no signal here…”  
Frisk instinctually gave a sigh of relief. Chara raised a brow and chuckled, “It only delays the inevitable, mirror.”

From behind Chara, the muffin-spider let out a strange series of loud chitters. Chara looked back at the creature, phone still in hand, and a raised brow, “You cannot do anything, and no one is going to help-“  
Before Chara could complete their sentence, they felt webs across their hand. The one that held the phone. With a gasp, they looked over at the phone and saw webs pull the phone out of their grasp. Chara’s eyes widened, “N-no!”  
As the phone was quickly pulled up, Chara tried to reach for it. It flew just out of their grasp, pulled into the darkness above. Chara stood there for a moment. Unable to process this event. They were pulled back into focus by the muffin-spider’s laugh-like chitters. Chara glared at them for a moment. They gave a dark chuckle, “Is that your revenge for killing your master?”  
The muffin-spider shook. Chara brandished their knife towards it. The muffin-spider shook again. It instinctually reeled back, but could not because its legs were gone. Chara smirked and lowered their blade, “I was going to kill you. However… I think starving to death will be a greater punishment.”

Chara stowed their knife away. They forcefully grabbed Frisk’s arm and pulled them to the edge of the platform. Frisk whimpered, but only barely fought against being dragged. Once at the edge of the platform, the two of them looked down to see Asriel stand nervously below. He perked up at the sight of Chara and Frisk. He called out, “What happened!? Are you two okay?!”  
Chara smiled and answered Asriel kindly, “I am fine, Rei! Wait there until we get down!”  
Frisk raised a brow, “Down? How?”  
Chara answered dryly, “We climb. Obviously.”  
Frisk eyed the spider webs nervously. They looked down for a moment before they stepped back. Their voice quivered, “I-is it… safe?”  
Chara was blunt, “I climbed this to rescue Asriel, and he climbed down safely. Now climb down, or I will push you.”  
A chill ran up Frisk’s spine. They lowered themselves and began to slowly climb down the web. Once Frisk was settled and climbing at a steady pace, Chara began to climb down the webs. The two reached the bottom one after another. Asriel approached the two with joy at first but became nervous. Chara immediately grabbed Frisk’s arm as soon as they were able. Asriel frowned, “Chara…”  
Chara frowned, “I will not repeat myself; it must be this way.”  
Asriel begged, “But, we’re so close to the barrier-“  
Chara cut them off, “Whatever you are planning, it won’t work.”  
“But-“  
Chara’s free hand began to curl in on itself. Their tone turned to pleading, “Please, Rei… I need you to trust me.”  
With said free hand, Chara pulled out their necklace and held it, “I promise, once this is all over, everything will be better. We will have a better life, one where we do not have to constantly hide from monsters.”  
Chara smiled, their tone was gentle, “You always wanted to go back outside and play in the snow, like we used to. Do you still want that?”  
Asriel hesitated. He tried to speak out, but he couldn’t find the words. He soon fished his own necklace out from under his coat. He stared at it for a moment. His gaze switch between his and Chara’s for a few more moments. He sighed heavily, “I do… but…”  
Chara approached Asriel, Frisk still firmly in their grasp. Chara let the necklace fall to their chest and they pet Asriel gently. They also wiped away the tears that peeked onto his fur. Chara gently shushed Asriel, “Then trust me. I _am_ your best friend, after all. Do you not trust me?”  
Asriel wavered, unsure what to say. Frisk saw this and spoke up, “Don’t listen to them, Asriel!”  
Chara immediately turned towards Frisk with an intense frown. Chara squeezed Frisk’s arm tightly. Frisk winced. Asriel spoke quietly, “I trust you… but Frisk didn’t do anything wrong…”  
Chara turned back to Asriel with a gentle expression, “You only need to listen to me. I have always been there for you.”  
Chara shot a glare at Frisk, “ _They_ have only been here a few days. _I_ have known and helped you for years. Trust me when I say this is for our own good.”

Chara began to pull Frisk along, “Now, we must get moving. We will have to find a camera now that my phone is gone.”  
Asriel stammered out half words as Chara passed with the half-dragged Frisk. He couldn’t speak anything coherent. After Chara and Frisk passed him, he gave a heavy sigh. He stashed his necklace under his coat and followed the two with a heavy frown on his face and hugged himself. He followed behind as the three left Muffet’s parlor. However, there was one more question from Asriel with a dejected tone, “What… happened to your arm?”  
Chara did not look back at Asriel. They spoke bluntly, “The final pyrope burned me.”  
Asriel’s fur stood on end, “It… it did?”  
“Just as you two fled.”  
Asriel was silent for a few moments before he began to quietly sob, “I… I didn’t think-“  
Chara spoke more gently, “No, you were tricked.”  
Frisk spoke up, “I didn’-“  
Chara quickly covered their mouth and glared at them, their voice quiet, “Do you want to attract more monsters? No? Then stay quiet.”  
Asriel sniffled, “I just wanted to help them…”  
Chara turned back to Asriel, “You only thought you did.”

The three were silent for the rest of the way. Chara had found the cameras on the outskirts of Muffet’s area to be broken. Not that is mattered soon, anyway, Chara thought. However, as they went along, they began to notice something very strange. They remembered on their way to Muffet’s, this final floor of Hotland had many monsters. If not physically present, there were at least noises from monsters in the distance. Yet, as they went, there was nothing. Only echoes of machinery far below. It was eerily silent otherwise. Was something wrong? They did not know.

A chill began down Chara’s back, but they did not express this. If they could not locate a working camera, it was only a quick trip back to the lab via the elevator across the way. Everything would be fine. And yet, the feeling persisted. It moved towards the pit of their gut once Chara noticed a few lights had been broken. The glass or plastic around it had been destroyed. The instinct to flee dawned in the back of Chara’s mind, but Chara pushed through it and moved on. The only hint of their inner struggle was them biting their lip.

When the approached the center area of the top of Hotland, Chara eyed something they did not see not that long ago. A pile of dust. One near the center of their path. Asriel shook and quickly got close to Chara and Frisk. He whispered, “W-was this… here… before?”  
Chara answered quietly and simply, “No. It was not.”  
Asriel shook. Even Frisk began to look nervous. Chara gently pulled on both of their companions and spoke quietly, “Come. We will go to the elevator.”  
Frisk did not move. Instead, they gave a confused noise and spoke quietly, “Do you hear that sound?”  
Chara raised a brow but decided to stay quiet and listen. A sound could barely be heard. It came from the way to the elevator. The sound echoed. It was strangely familiar. Chara could not place it at first, but soon realized what it was. Chewing. They gritted their teeth before they whispered in a serious tone, “We have to leave. Now.”  
Asriel shook and tried to speak quietly, “Wh-what is it?!”  
Chara shushed Asriel, but they quickly covered their mouth. They thought it a little too loud as it echoed slightly around them. Their fear was answered. The chewing sound stopped. Silence pervaded for a few seconds. A voice cut through the now darkened area, one familiar to all of them, “There you are.”  
A chill ran down the back of Asriel, Frisk, and Chara. King Sans was just ahead in their path once more. Chara acted quickly. They grabbed Asriel’s hand and pulled both Frisk and Asriel. Under their breath, they begged, “Run!”

Neither Frisk or Asriel complained. At Chara’s behest, they began to run. They followed Chara towards the more open area of Hotland. Only Chara’s footsteps were light. Frisk’s footsteps were heavy as they ran. Asriel’s fur aided his steps; his were somewhere between the two in noise. From behind, the three of them heard a strange sound before a crash into the area they once stood. The three dared not look back. Frisk nearly did, but the crash only fueled them to run forward with Chara and Asriel towards a speck of light. The three heard a growl behind them, one more reminiscent of a beast than the king of all monsters. Even as he spoke, his voice was lower and hinted an echo, “I’m tired of these games. Where are you?!”  
Asriel whined quietly. Chara beckoned the two along, “Quiet. We can lose him in The Core.”  
Frisk and Asriel nodded in understanding. Another chill ran down their spines as they heard more strange sounds behind them, though not directly. The strange sounds were followed by more crashes and impacts on the stone and metal of the Hotland platforms behind them. Soon, there was no longer any stone, but metal. In front of the three spanned a long, skinny, metal bridge. One that presumably went to The Core. Below was a sea of darkness with specks of red and yellow budding through at seemingly random intervals. There was little time to examine much else of their surroundings. Chara was only concerned with getting Frisk and Asriel to the lab while Frisk and Asriel were firstly concerned with escaping Sans. Chara pulled Asriel forward onto the bridge. They spoke firmly, but still as quiet as they could, “You first, Rei! Go, quick!”  
Asriel nearly yelped as he was pulled forward by Chara. He continued; his footsteps pounded on the metal bridge. Chara followed close behind and Frisk behind them, finally free from Chara’s grasp in the midst of this madness. They did not care. Neither did Chara at that moment. There was something far more deadly chasing them, after all.

As the three were nearly done crossing the bridge, they heard a voice call out to them loudly, “T H E R E Y O U A R E!”  
Frisk made a mistake at that moment. They turned their head and looked back. Time seemed to slow down in that moment. They could feel their heart race as their eyes locked onto the encroaching figure, to see him fully for the first time. Sans had teleported above the three at an angle. He dove towards them at a fast rate. His single blue eye locked onto Frisk, the other one dark and hollow. His jaw was slightly ajar, ready to bite into the first grasp of flesh he could reach. His claws were out; one pulled back above his head, ready to strike. The other was at his side but was still tense and ready to move. Frisk screamed as they turned their head forward once more. Time was restored in their eyes. They were near the end of the bridge. As they were about to cross the threshold, they felt something strange from their back before a loud crash behind them. The metal around them groaned and snapped from the pressure. Before Frisk knew what happened, the metal below them threw them forward onto the platform. They landed on their chest, but before they could recover, Chara quickly scooped them up and shouted, “MOVE!”  
Before Frisk could think, their feet moved on their own. Their ears rang heavily, and their vision was clear, yet felt unreal. They felt a strange draft come from their back. They reached back and noticed nearly all of the back of their sweater had been ripped off. Only the neck of the sweater remained intact. The strange feeling was the tug of the cloth being ripped from them. They also felt a small sting from the uncovered area and winced. Chara looked back, “Did he cut into you?”  
Frisk cried, a few tears on their cheeks, “I don’t know!!”  
Chara pulled Frisk forward to run with them. They reached towards Frisk’s back with their hand and felt it. They pulled their hand away to see three thin lines of blood. Chara furrowed their brow, “He grazed you, but this will be enough to track you if he resists eating it.”  
Frisk went pale and sniffled, “What do we do?!”  
Chara reached into their pocket and pulled out the empty bag. They bit their lip; that idea wouldn’t work. They had to think harder.

Meanwhile, after he attacked, Sans teleported to the entrance of The Core. The bridge behind him was broken. A third of it was completely gone and the rest slowly threatened to fall with it. Sans examined what he had managed to grab; only cloth. He growled, ready to throw it to the side. Just before he was going to throw it, he noticed red dots on a few of his claws. His eye widened before he immediately shoved the blood-tipped claws into his mouth. Blood. Real human blood. It tasted better than he remembered. His mouth spilled over with drool from the taste. He closed his eyes. He stood there for a few long moments, savoring the small taste of his feast yet to come. Nothing else existed in those moments before his drool overtook the taste of the blood. His eyes shot open. He swallowed the blood and drool. He licked and chewed the claws the blood was on, desperate for any other traces. When he found none, he could only chuckle darkly and throw the scrap of cloth to the side. He eyed the path to The Core. He grinned impishly, “They picked the perfect place for a cat and mouse chase. Fine. One last game. They won’t escape this maze anyway.”  
He slowly stepped into The Core area. His grin almost permanently affixed on their skull. The chase was on.


	18. Deathly Chase

The Core seemed to stretch like a maze to Asriel, Chara, and Frisk. Long metal corridors continued near-infinitely to their right, left, behind, and in front. There was a soft hum of all the machinery around The Core everywhere they went. Even for Chara, this was unfamiliar territory. They had no need to venture into The Core; they barely ever went past Gaster’s lab in Hotland. They felt it too close to New Home and too far from Asriel for their liking. Asgore had told them that The Core was built like a puzzle, one that changed depending upon the whims of the workers and Gaster. A last-ditch effort to trap any humans in the underground, with the only two humans in the underground currently inside. Two mice trapped in the maze with a frenzied cat hot on their heels.

Chara led Frisk and Asriel through a few turns. Each of their footsteps echoed on the metal. Chara was concerned with distance first and foremost. There were few places to hide here. Chara tensed slightly; even if there were, there was still the small chance being smelled out. Not so much themselves, but Frisk. Asriel disrupted these thoughts with a whine, clearly tired from the running, “Why don’t we go straight?”  
Chara replied just enough to be heard over their footsteps, “He will see us quicker if we run straight completely.”  
Frisk perked up curiously, “Do you know your way around here?”  
Chara bit their lip before they spoke, “…I do not.”  
Asriel let out a noise of shock and concern, “Dad or Dr. Gaster never took you here?!”  
Chara forced the two to turn another corner, “There was no reason for me to come here. It is too close to New Home and the castle.”  
Asriel frowned, “So… what do we do?”  
Chara sighed, “We find a way out and we survive.”

The three heard heavy metal crashes from far behind them. Asriel and Frisk immediately froze. Chara gasped. They heard their companions’ footsteps stop echoing on the metal. Chara quickly acted. They pulled Frisk and Asriel around the next corner and shushed them. A voice could be heard in the distance, “You two _really_ want to play this game? You’re just making me hungrier.”  
Asriel shook and cowered softly. Chara petted Asriel’s head and whispered gently, “We will make it out of this. We have to outsmart him.”

Frisk stood there nervously. They instinctually clasped their hands together and spoke quietly, “Um… Chara?”  
Chara shot a glare at Frisk, “This had better be important, mirror.”  
Frisk flinched. They took a step back. They summoned the courage to speak, “Maybe… we should sneak around him slowly?”  
Chara gave a befuddled look as they turned towards Frisk. They could not speak at first. They were absolutely dumbfounded. Chara narrowed their eyes at Frisk. Their voice deepened, “We are running from the most unstable and powerful monster in the underground and you suggest we merely walk to avoid him?!”  
Frisk frowned, “Our… footsteps echo on the metal when we run…”  
Slowly as Frisk spoke, Chara’s eyes began to normalize. Frisk continued, “If we go slowly, he won’t hear where we are over the hum of these machines...”  
Chara appeared calm. They mulled it over before they shrugged towards Frisk, “Well, you _are_ an expert at running away.”  
Frisk pouted but said nothing. Chara continued with a firm voice, “Fine. We will try it your way.”

The three heard footsteps closing in. Still distant due to the echoes around them, but slowly drew closer. Chara motioned for Asriel and Frisk to move down the hallway they turned. They spoke quietly, “Move.”  
Asriel was able to move relatively normally. Chara and Frisk began to move carefully at a walking pace. There were extremely small noises, but the noises of the Core drowned the footsteps out. Chara was surprised at the simplicity of the plan. They still worried about whether it would truly work. Running was one thing, but even Frisk wasn’t able to run from them forever. The Core around them was a maze; one that Chara did not know how to navigate. How long would it be until Sans caught up? How long until they ran into a dead end? Was there even another way out? Chara shook that thought aside; there must be something. An emergency exit. An exit to New Home. Something.

Their thoughts were interrupted by an echoed growl. Sans sounded closer. A chill ran down the back of Frisk, Asriel, and Chara as Sans spoke, agitated, “Doesn’t matter if you hide or sneak around. I W I L L F I N D Y O U.”  
Chara pushed Asriel and Frisk down another turn quickly but quietly. They found themselves along a railing. Beyond the railing was what appeared to be a sea of white light. All three of them squinted and turned away slightly, not to look directly at the light. Far off in the distance was another metal path. One they could never dream of reaching by foot.

Before any of them could comment, they heard the king’s footsteps quicken in their direction. Chara’s heart dropped. Did he pick up their scent? Frisk’s more than likely. The three heard a laugh, “I can smell you.”  
Chara’s suspicions were confirmed. They instinctually grabbed Asriel’s hand. They spoke curtly towards Frisk, “Your plan has failed.”

Frisk immediately began to run along the railed path. Chara quickly half-dragged Asriel along. After they passed a few corners, a monster turned the next one. It was too late for the three of them to change course. They ended up bumping into the preoccupied monster and knocking them over. Papers spilled forth, obscuring their escape. Chara acted quickly and pulled their two companions down the hallway the monster came from before they turned another corner. Meanwhile, the monster in question was in a daze. One minute they were revising some of their documents and the next said documents were all around them and they were flat on the ground. They groaned before they growled, “HEY! Watch where you’re going!”  
They looked around but saw no sign of the monster that knocked into them. The monster sighed and began to pick up the papers around them. They grumbled as a few fluttered across the railing and into The Core. They groused, “Now I’ll have to print those all over again. Stupid rushers.”  
The monster found themselves completely preoccupied. They didn’t see a new monster come up to them. Instead, they were altered to this new monster’s presence by seeing a document under their boot and long navy cape. The monster jumped back with a start, “Oh! Sorry I didn’t see you there!”  
The monster began to look up, “Could you… um…”  
The monster’s eyes grew with shock. The face of this cloaked figure was all too familiar. Yet, his expression was far more bestial and full of rage than they remembered. He looked tired. He constantly ground his sharp teeth. One eye was hollow while the other burned a bright blue, currently locked on them. It was far worse than intimidating. The monster let out another surprised noise and shook, “King Sans!”  
They immediately bowed before him. Their face touched the metal. Before they could begin to grovel, Sans spoke simply, “Where are the humans?”  
The monster blinked. Confused. They sat on their hind legs, “Um… pardon, but did you sa-“  
“You know EXACTLY what I said!”  
The monster fell over and cowered, “I-I haven’t seen any! I didn’t even know there were humans-“  
“LIES”  
Before the monster could protest once more, sharp bones protruded from the metal. For a moment, the monster could see they had been pierced at least ten times. They shook and quivered before they disappeared into dust. Sans took a few moments to look around the immediate area. No sign of them. He growled and clenched his fist. He shook in rage and roared, “WHERE ARE YOU BRATS?!”

The question echoed fiercely through The Core. Any who heard instantly shivered and shook. Asriel covered his ears. He shook and whimpered, “He’s gonna find us…”  
Chara gently held Asriel’s head, “He will not if we hurry.”  
Frisk noticed something ahead, “Is that a way out?”  
Chara and Asriel noticed something ahead upon Frisk’s question. A long bridge. Across the bridge was a dead end, yet it held two doors. One of which had a large symbol above it. Chara’s eyes widened, “A way out…”

The three of them immediately ran towards it. Chara raised a brow, “Perhaps this is the way to New Home. We will have to be cautious.”  
They all ran into the tunnel before them. The tunnel soon became stone and opened up around them. They saw they were on a high path above New Home. The vast expanse of building carved from grey stonework. Flames or electric lights lit New Home much like a human city. The craftsmanship of New Home was grand. There were many square, tall building that likened to skyscrapers. These were crafted with efficiency in mind, to give monsters small homes they needed. For each of these buildings, there were many others crafted with care. The styles ranged from Romanesque to Gothic. Long, intricate columns. Detailed archways. Mural-like detailing on the sides of some buildings. And some with tall pinnacles.  
Chara stood and marveled at the town below. The first time they had seen it with their own eyes. They spoke quietly, still encapsulated by the city below, “This is… New Home. And this… this must be the Royal Way…”  
They stood there for a few moments. Distracted. Frisk and Asriel had not noticed Chara had stopped. They instead continued on their way, not fully knowing what lied ahead. Chara soon snapped back to reality. They noticed Frisk and Asriel were gone. They looked around, desperate for any trace of Asriel or Frisk, “Rei?”  
There was only one way to go. Dread grew in the pit of Chara’s stomach, “No! Come back!”  
They ran along the only path they could. The path towards the castle

 

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This was a stressful situation for Gaster. Even more so than normal. The Core cameras showed a very clear picture; the king was on his hunt. He was ferocious, focused, mad with hunger, and much closer than the humans thought he was. Too close for Gaster to swoop in and take one of the humans undetected. As much as Gaster wanted to take one of them, it would practically be taking them from in front of Sans’s eyes. Not a wise choice if his plan was to succeed. The king would be quick to retaliate, especially in his mental state. One which had dropped faster than Gaster had predicted, mostly due to finding out there were humans in the underground. Thankfully, this happened with the last soul Gaster needed for the barrier. He was almost relieved if it weren’t for him constantly looking for an opening to take the humans and their monster accomplice.

A voice disturbed Gaster’s stress-induced train of thought. His assistant spoke in shock, “Sir! You have to do something! They will all die at this rate!”  
Gaster kept his eye sockets on the screens, “He is too close. He will know and retaliate.”  
Asgore’s shock turned to rage, “My children are running for their lives and you will do _nothing_?!”  
Gaster frowned and retaliated curtly, “If I retrieve them now, our king will know exactly where to follow. He will not hesitate to use the confined spaces of the lab to his advantage and kill all of us! We risk our lives as well as all of our progress!”  
Asgore stomped and roared at Gaster, “Damn our progress!”

Gaster’s eyes turned towards his assistant, “What do you think arguing will accomplish?”  
A chill ran down Asgore’s back for a moment. Fear bled into his expression as his boss stared him down. However, Asgore felt he couldn’t hold back any longer. This time there was a real risk. A real payoff. He had to speak up. Asgore huffed, “My children safe and your soul retrieved.”  
Gaster smirked, “And here I thought you had a soft spot for the other human. I thought the similarities to Chara would cloud your mind.”  
Gaster frowned, “But I see your children clouded your mind long ago.”  
Gaster motioned to the screens, “I would be more than delighted at the chance to take the final soul we need, but we need to consider _everything_ before taking it. He knows I desire a soul. He knows this lab fairly well. Even if we take them to where we stored the souls, he could potentially reach us and take one of the souls before I can absorb them.”  
Gaster smirked, “Or, he could kill Chara first and then kill us all.”  
Asgore stared in horror, “I asked you to protect them, but all you have done is use them as bait.”  
Gaster answered dryly, “If I used them as bait, they would have died long ago. They are a means to an end. A tool. And if they fail to take the other human to a safe location, _they_ will be the soul we need. That was the deal, a generous one at that.”

Asgore was quiet. He lowered his head submissively for a moment. He then furrowed his brow and held his head high, “I will not allow you to make a tool of them any longer.”  
Gaster scoffed, “Go ahead. Quit. I do not need you anymore, and I see that you think your children no longer need my protection.”  
Asgore spat back harshly, “You haven’t protected them at all!”  
Gaster’s eyes glowed with his rage, “Who do you think has led our king away all these years? Who withstood all of his threats of not only death but being devoured by him!? Who suggested moving your children to Snowdin to protect them when the king grew suspicious of your family?!”

Gaster huffed before he used his magic to grasp Asgore’s soul. He shoved Asgore towards the door. He let go and glared at Asgore, “Leave. If you want to want to kill yourself in an attempt to rescue them, you’d best leave now.”  
Asgore mirrored the glare. He huffed. He removed his lab coat and threw it on the floor. He then left without a word, slamming the door behind him on his way out. Gaster sighed. A small pang of regret rang within him. Yet, it passed quickly. He turned back towards the screens, all on the cameras of The Core. Their eye sockets widened. The humans and Asriel were nowhere in The Core. He types furiously in order to change the cameras, “Where did they run to? Did he get them?!”  
He began to search as many cameras as possible, frantic and desperate the find at least one of them.


	19. Last Promise

Frisk and Asriel did not pause upon seeing New Home. Frisk saw the new area around them but was able to continue on while they took in the scenery. Adrenaline still fueled them and they were unsure if it was safe to stop. Asriel ran at their side. He huffed and panted heavily. Frisk could see pink through his fur on his cheeks as well as sweat begin to wet his fur. Frisk spoke in worry, “Asriel... are you okay?”  
Asriel wheezed in between words, “Just… a bit… tired…”  
Frisk gently put a hand to Asriel’s shoulder, “We can probably slow-“  
Frisk jumped slightly. Their hand jumped from Asriel’s shoulder. They looked around on instinct. They fully expected to meet Chara’s glare upon merely touching Asriel. Yet, there was no Chara in sight. Frisk’s eyes widened upon this realization. They were alone with Asriel again. Asriel noticed Frisk’s slight shock and looked around himself. He blinked, just as surprised as Frisk, “Chara’s… gone?”  
He slowed slightly and gasped. Fear seeped into his gaze and looked at Frisk, “You don’t think they fell off the path, do you?!”  
Frisk shook their head, “I don’t think so.”  
Asriel frowned, “Should we… wait for them?”  
Frisk paused. Unsure. Chara was smart and wanted them dead. On the other hand, they were also good protection. However, there was no guarantee it would be Chara that would catch up to them first. They almost shivered at the thought.

A different, curious thought ran through their mind, “How… close are we to the barrier?”  
Asriel looked ahead towards the castle. He relaxed and smiled, “I think we’re close.”  
Frisk raised a curious brow. They looked forward. The castle was nearly before them. It was carved into the stone, easy to see that some went into the mountainside. It was detailed. Tall towers with blue roofing. Intricate designs in the stonework. Yet, the castle was smaller than Frisk had thought. About the size of a large manor.  
Frisk and Asriel marveled at the sight, much like Chara had with New Home. Asriel giggled, “We can reach the barrier, and we can show Chara my idea!”  
Frisk half smiled. The choose not to respond. They slowed down as the two approached the entrance to the castle. It opened to a small yard-like area made of stone. There were many claw marks and what appeared to be unnaturally rounded areas in the walls. At the end of the yard was a simple door. Asriel and Frisk walked up to the door, both somewhat nervous. Asriel, after he finished wheezing from the run, spoke, “This must be the private entrance to the castle.”

Asriel turned the knob. He found it unlocked. The door opened easily. The area it opened to was a small foyer of a seemingly small abode. Compared to the claw marks and holes outside the home, the home was surprisingly neat, despite the obvious signs of disuse. Thick layers of dust caked on the floor, banisters, and small cabinets. The air felt thick from the now unsettled dust in the air. Both Asriel and Frisk began to cough heavily at this new cloud. It took a few moments for the dust to settle. Even then, Asriel continued to wheeze. Frisk quickly noticed that in front of them was a set of stairs. They spoke, their voice slightly hoarse, “Maybe… we go down those stairs…”  
Asriel coughed and sounded greatly hoarse, “Okay… let’s…. go…”  
Frisk helped Asriel step carefully through the door. They closed the door behind them and decided to lock it. They let Asriel lean on them as they led him to the stairs. Asriel went to grab the railing, but Frisk gently stopped them, “Don’t... more dust.”  
Asriel coughed again, “R-right…”  
Asriel continued to lean on Frisk as the two made their way down the stairs. Asriel’s breaths were heavy with slight rasps to them. He whined, “I’m… so tired…”  
The two reached the bottom. They were greeted by a long, singular hallway. In the distance, Frisk could see it turn and give off a faint light. Frisk decided to press onwards, “We should be away from this dust soon.”  
Asriel breathed deeply and smiled wearily, “It already feels better.”

They decided it would be best to go the rest of the way in silence. They found the turn to be a shorter distance than thought. The tunnel soon opened up to another large view of New Home. Asriel spoke softly, “Dad said you have to walk through a golden hallway to see the king. I wonder if we’ll see it.”  
Frisk noticed something just up ahead. An elevator. It held no particular signs of disuse or regular use. Frisk mused, “That must be for visitors…or was…”  
Asriel saw on the opposite side of the elevator was an entrance to another hallway. A golden light shined through onto the grey stonework in front of it. Asriel’s eyes widened. He marveled, “Is… that it?!”

Before the two of them could move, they heard a desperate cry echo from the hall behind them, “Asriel?!”  
Asriel and Frisk gasped. Asriel turned to Frisk and pushed them into the golden hallway, “Hurry! Go! I’ll meet you there!”  
Frisk took off into the golden hallway without another word. Asriel slowly followed in behind Frisk. Asriel stood in awe at the golden hallway. The Last Corridor. Asriel slowly walked past a few pillars of the hall, slowly taking in the design. He focused on the first window. The lights of New Home poured in and illuminated the hall. But that splendor was short lived.

Chara entered the Last Corridor and saw Asriel. They cried out his name once more and ran to his side. Chara took a moment to breathe as they clung to Asriel’s shoulders. They tightened their grip and looked at Asriel. Panic encompassed their expression. They pleaded with Asriel desperately, “Where are they, Rei? Where is my mirror?!”  
Asriel winced at Chara’s tightened grip. He stepped back and spoke, “They’re… they’re-“  
Chara’s desperate look descended to a crazed desperation. Their eyes widened, and they gave a smile that seemed a little too wide. They chuckled lightly, “They’re just ahead, aren’t they? Trapped here at the end.”  
Asriel shook his head. His gaze focused and he spoke with conviction, “Chara, I have an idea about the barrier! We can-“  
Chara’s expression calmed slightly. Their smile descended. They cut Asriel off, “Rei… whatever you are planning will not work.”  
Asriel frowned. He began to plead with Chara, “Chara, please listen!”  
Chara gritted their teeth and yelled, “Then why won’t you listen to me in return?!”  
Asriel shook and cowered. Chara relaxed before it fully sunk in what they had just done. They approached Asriel with a wide-eyed expression, “Rei… I… I’m sorry… I… I should not yell at you…”  
Chara pulled Asriel into a hug. Asriel yelped slightly as Chara held him tightly at his chest, yet so gently at his head. They cuddled their chin and mouth deep into his ear and neck. A few sniffles came from Chara, “I just want to protect you.”  
Asriel shook at first. They didn’t have the strength to pull away from Chara’s hug, but it still felt… off. It wasn’t as it was before. One arm around his chest tightly and the other cradled the back of his head gently. Any move backward was denied, as Chara’s arms seemed to lock in place at the slightest movement. He was locked in place for almost a full minute before Chara’s arms finally moved. They relaxed slightly and lowered their arms, but they paused. Something was strange. Asriel was no longer looking at them. His gaze widened in horror and was focused on something behind them.

Chara felt an all too familiar sensation upon them. Something gripped their soul. Before they could fully react, they were launched backward a few feet and lifted into the air. They let out a yelp unconsciously. A deep, familiar voice cut through the Last Corridor. He spoke words Chara had dreaded to hear, “Time’s up, Chara. I cannot wait any longer.”  
Chara shook. They floated next to Gaster on his left side. Their eyes locked onto him, widened as far as they could go. Tears instantly began to stream from their eyes. They spoke quickly in a panic, “No! No, please! They’re just ahead! They’re trapped! I just need a few more minutes!”  
Asriel stepped forward and pleaded, “What are you doing?! Let them go!”  
Gaster glared at Asriel, “I am taking the last soul I need.”  
Gaster turned their glare towards Chara, “If I knew it would be this much trouble, I should have taken your soul when you gave me the last one.”  
Asriel began to shed tears as well, “You… you’re going to kill them?”  
Gaster spoke bluntly, “Yes.”  
Asriel cried out, “No!”  
Asriel ran up to Gaster and began to try and drag Chara to the ground. His feet moved backward, but he stood in place. He grunted and pleaded, “You can’t take them! They didn’t do anything wrong!”  
Gaster raised a brow and looked down at Asriel’s futile efforts, “On the contrary, they have failed to uphold their end of the bargain.”  
Asriel huffed ad he tried to pull Chara to the ground, “I’m… tired of hearing… of this… stupid deal… and not knowing what it is!”  
Chara’s expression had deflated to one of defeat. They no longer moved. Instead, they hung limply in the air. Their tears continued to flow with no end. They sighed deeply and looked down at Asriel, “Rei…I did not want to involve you in this… I was trying to protect you… I was a fool.”  
Chara quickly looked towards Gaster, “I will go with you without hesitation… but… please let me say goodbye to Asriel. Five minutes. That is all I ask. Nothing more.”  
Gaster glared at Chara for a few moments. He sighed and released his magic from Chara. Chara plummeted to the floor and landed with an ‘oof’. He glared down at them, “Five minutes.”

Chara nodded and stood up. They gave Asriel a half smile. They offered their hand. Asriel hesitated but took it. The two began to walk. Chara began to recount what they knew, “This deal… it was twofold. Firstly, I supplied blood for the substitute and your medicine. He created it and distributed it, with you and one other guaranteed a supply. Secondly, since Mother had already trained me to defend myself, I was to find and retrieve the last two souls needed to break the barrier.”  
The two stopped two pillars from Gaster. Asriel looked unsure, “Does that mean you…”  
Chara nodded, their tone even, “Yes. Another human fell before my mirror, and I killed them.”  
Asriel frowned. He shook his head and spoke defiantly, “But- but you don’t need to!”  
Asriel gripped both of Chara’s hands, “I figured it out! You need a human and a monster to cross the barrier, right? What if a human and a monster held hands? Wouldn’t that work?”  
Gaster spoke bluntly, “That does not work.”  
Asriel puffed his cheeks for a moment. He looked back at Gaster with a glare, “And how would you know?”  
Gaster spoke with a matter of fact tone, “Because Prince Papyrus tried that with the first human to walk in the underground. It failed.”  
Chara spoke sorrowfully, “I told you Asriel… it was not going to work.”  
Asriel looked back at Chara. His tears increased, “But… but I promised Frisk that I would help them get home… I… I…”  
Chara shushed Asriel calmly. They gave a sad smile and cupped Asriel’s left cheek, “That does not matter now, Rei. None of it matters. I see now you choose to protect someone. I just… wish that someone was me.”  
“But… it could be.”  
“It is far too late for that, Rei. Even I cannot run forever.”

Chara used their free hand to pull their locket from under their sweater. They gave Asriel a more serious look despite their tears, “Rei. I want you to promise me something on your locket.”  
Asriel blinked, “Oh… okay…”  
He pulled out his own locket silently. Chara took a deep breath and spoke, “No matter what happens, promise me you will live. Everything I did was to protect you. Everything I did was to give you the strength to survive. You must face the facts; you need to eat humans to survive.”  
Asriel whined, “But-“  
Chara’s gaze intensified for a moment. They raised their voice, “Promise me, Rei!”  
Asriel winced for a second, but soon saw Chara give him a genuine smile through their tears, “Please… let me die knowing you will live.”  
Asriel was silent for a few moments. Nothing seemed right. Not Chara, not Gaster, not even himself. He could tell that Chara was silently begging them to say yes. But that would mean letting them go. He gave a defeated sigh. He knew there was only one answer. He spoke with a frown, “Okay… I promise.”  
Chara smiled. They removed their locket from their neck and locked it around Asriel’s. Chara smiled all the while. They felt a lump in their throat, yet they managed to summon three simple words, “Thank you, Rei.”

Gaster’s curt voice cut through the moment, “Your time is up.”  
Chara looked over at Gaster. They gave a simple nod with an even tone, “So it is.”  
Chara’s expression became blank. They began to walk towards Gaster. Asriel sniffled and called out Chara’s name once more. Chara stopped in front of Gaster and looked back at Asriel with a smile, “Goodbye, Rei. I wish I had the chance to show you the stars, like I promised.”  
Gaster went to grab Chara by the arm. A voice cut through the golden hall, “Wait!”

The three of them paused. Shocked. All three turned their gaze towards the end of the Last Corridor that led to Sans’s Throne Room. From behind the final pillar, a small figure emerged. A human. Frisk. Asriel turned towards Frisk with a concerned gaze, “Frisk…”  
Chara let out a small, dry chuckle, “Come to see your victory, mirror? You won. You have taken _everything_ from me.”  
Frisk stepped forward slowly. They visibly shook. They hugged themselves. They began to bite their lower lip. Their voice shook as they struggled to speak, “I…”  
They stopped near Asriel. They gulped down the lump in their throat and spoke loudly, “I’ll trade my soul for Chara’s!”  
Asriel walked up to Frisk. He spoke quietly, “Why? I thought… you wanted to go home?”  
Frisk looked down, “I… I realized I’m not going home… and I’m going to die no matter what happens.”  
Tears streamed from their eyes, “I… I might as well die how I choose.”  
Gaster chuckled darkly, “Well, this is a surprise. Perhaps I will have a chance to avenge Papyrus after all.”  
Frisk raised a brow, “What happened to Papyrus?”  
Gaster’s eyes narrowed and began to glow. His voice was low at first, but grew into a fervor, “Do not play dumb. I saw the dust and the letters. You. Killed. Him!”  
Frisk cowered. They opened their eyes. They opened their mouth to explain themselves, but another voice echoed from behind them, “ I F O U N D Y O U.”  
Frisk and Chara both gasped. All eyes in the room locked onto the new arrival from the throne room. Sans. Before anyone could react, the king raised an arm. His already glowing eye intensified. Bones jutted out from the floor of the Last Corridor. The bones aimed for the two humans. Some bones pierced flesh. Blood ran onto the bones and dripped onto the golden tiles. The blood of one human.


	20. Inner Workings

Before they knew what hit them, many spiked bones had been run through Frisk’s body. Frisk couldn’t move. The shock was heavy, they found no breath to scream from the immeasurable pain. Their hearing faded first; sounds of victorious chuckles and worried screams all muddled together in an incomprehensible cluster. Their vision faded next; what was once clear became blobs. They could see one of blue and white approach them. Their muscle control then faded. Everything relaxed. Their pierced appendages drooped down the bones slightly. Their back no longer tensed. Their neck could no longer hold up their head. Gold, white, and red were all they could see until black finally consumed their vision. Their pain faded at last. The last sense to fade away.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Asriel screamed. His eyes focused on Frisk as they were run through by at least seven bones. He fell to the floor and scooted back from Frisk’s corpse in fear. Sans’s low, husky chuckle emanated through the hall, only marginally covered by the sounds of shoes and Asriel hitting the floor. The sounds of shoes came from Chara. They moved to the side. Some of the bones grazed and tore their jacket’s right sleeve, but Chara themself was unharmed. The only one that was as still as Frisk was Gaster. His stance lowered slightly. His eye sockets locked onto his king past the dead body. He was ready the moment something happened.

Sans began to collect himself. His glowing eye locked onto his prize, yet it drifted to Chara for a second, “Looks like you get one for yourself after all.”  
His eyes returned to Frisk’s corpse. Something new shined above it. A red light, one that coalesced into the shape of a heart. Frisk’s soul. Sans’s eyes locked onto the soul. His jaw unhinged. His mouth watered. He called out his claim, “But this one is mine!”  
Sans teleported to Frisk. The bones all disappeared at once just before he teleported. The were no cracks in the floor. No evidence the bones were there other than small outlines of blood that suddenly filled in as the drops of blood that covered the bones all dropped to the golden floor at once. Frisk’s corpse also began to drop. More blood poured from the now gaping wounds. The blood began to pool out to all sides. Asriel could only watch in horror, transfixed on the blood that approached him. His breath felt heavy. His mouth watered. His stomach growled, though unheard through the commotion.

Gaster smirked and acted quickly. Just as Sans began to teleport, Gaster cloaked Frisk’s soul in his own blue magic. As Sans landed next to Frisk, Frisk’s soul rocketed to Gaster’s left hand. Sans paused for a moment. Shock and confusion in his gaze. It broke the second after as Frisk’s body fell into its pool of blood and splashed the bottom of his pants, cloak, and boots. His eye locked onto Gaster. He roared, “THAT’S MINE!”  
Gaster quickly moved the soul to his chest without a word. He shoved it into his chest, where he knew his own soul lay. The soul entered his body and began to bond with his soul. Time seemed to slow around him. All he could focus on was the intense feeling that welled within him. What at first felt like an ember upon his soul, grew into a fierce wildfire throughout his entire being. He closed his eyes and shook. He clenched his sharp teeth. All he could focus on was this feeling, this raging war within his soul. One that to the outside world was only a few seconds, yet to him, it felt as though hours had passed.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gaster opened his eyes. Nothing was as it was before. There was no golden hall. No human or monster children. No king that would certainly be trying to kill him that very second. Instead, this was a dark area. Scattered around the area appeared to be a variety of work desks, ones that were familiar to him. He could see many screens around him on supposed walls, all filled with static. He looked up to see the screens were so numerous that he could not see them all. He narrowed his eyes, what was this place? He took a step. The sound of the floor reminded him of his lab. The second his lab entered his mind, half of the screens lit up with various visions of his lab. It showed paperwork, work on the substitute, simple conversations with a variety of monsters and Chara. Gaster’s eyes widened. After a few moments of examination, he came to a quick conclusion; these were his memories. Was this his mind? Why was he here? A small flight of panic surfaced; was he dead?! He’d certainly remember being dead. All the screens changed to what happened a few moments ago. Frisk giving themselves up. Sans showing up and killing them. Gaster retrieving the soul and shoving it into his ribcage. Then the memories of his lab seemed to repeat.

Amidst this curiosity, a young voice cut through the darkness, “Wh-where am I?”  
Gaster let out a small gasp. His eyes drifted toward the source of the voice. A small figure stood at the other end of the room. Frisk. All the tears of their clothes were repaired. All the wounds they suffered underground were also mended. Gaster’s calm demeanor lowered to a simmering rage, “Y O U.”  
Frisk shook. Their eyes focused on Gaster. Gaster’s eyes lit up and he attempted to use his blue magic on Frisk. Nothing. Frisk didn’t lift up as Gaster had anticipated. Gaster growled, “What is this?”  
Frisk called back, “I don’t know! I don’t know where we are or what’s happening! I just remember-“

Frisk cut themselves off. Tears began to pour from their eyes, “I… I died… I’m… dead…”  
The screens changed to both Frisk’s and Gaster’s view of Frisk’s death. The area around them began to brighten. Above the endless array of screens, the sun peaked out. Gaster squinted at the new bright light. He covered his eyes with the sleeve of his coat to give shade for his eye sockets to adjust. Around the screens, greenery began to grow. Topiary bushes lined the screens. A tall, chain link fence became the supposed walls of the room. In a corner of the room, a tall, climbable tree grew. The floor remained the same, and the desks remained as well.

Gaster’s eyes widened at the changes around him. He growled and tried a different magic. Bones surrounded Frisk, the structure akin to a cage. Frisk screamed and fell down. They curled into a ball. Gaster could clearly hear their begging despite Frisk murmuring, “No... please… I don’t want to feel that again!”  
The sun above began to hide behind clouds. Thunder began to sound. It sounded distant, as though it was the first sign of a storm on the horizon. Gaster ignored Frisk’s begs for mercy and spoke, “Now I understand; this is my soul. You are here because I absorbed your soul.”  
He smirked, “I had hoped to simply kill you to avenge Prince Papyrus, but suppose-“  
Frisk roared in a retort, “I DIDN’T KILL HIM!”  
Gaster’s eyes glowed in his rage, “DON’T LIE TO ME!”

A familiar, struggling voice cut through the darkening room, “I... ran out… yesterday… morning…. I… Frisk… I can’t… hold... on…”  
Both Frisk and Gaster found their eyes drift to the screens around them. Gaster became entranced as he saw Frisk’s memory of Papyrus’s transformation. He spoke in shock, “No… he couldn’t have…”  
Frisk frowned deeply and looked at Gaster, “He… lost control…”  
Gaster became entranced by the memory. He watched Frisk flee Papyrus in vain. He saw them pinned down by Papyrus and them beg for him to stop. Gaster relaxed as he watched, so much so that he released his magic. His eyes stopped glowing. Tears began to bud as he watched Papyrus regain himself and realize what had happened. Frisk relaxed slightly but kept their eye on Gaster as he continued to take in their memory. Despite this, hearing Papyrus’s voice again sparked a few tears of their own. They streamed by the time Frisk heard those final, sorrowful words once more, “Now go!... And… don’t turn back…”

The screens faded to static once more upon the memory of the doors closing. Gaster’s eyes widened, “That’s all? That cannot be all!”  
Frisk shook their head before they sniffled and wiped their eyes clean, “That’s the last time I saw him… I… I didn’t know he died. What happened?”  
Gaster sighed. The memory of Papyrus’s fate entered his mind. The knock on the door. Opening it. The pile of dust. Frisk gasped at the sight, “N-no!”  
Frisk curled up slightly. Their tears began again, “Why?...”  
Gaster frowned deeply. He spoke sorrowfully, “I suppose… I knew from the start what had happened. I was… blinded by my grief. I didn’t want to accept he would truly commit suicide.”

The sound of rain pervaded the area, yet no drop could be seen. Frisk hesitated, but spoke calmly, “You… really cared about him… didn’t you?”  
Gaster sat down. A simple chair materialized for him to sit in. He spoke plainly with a sorrowful frown, “Perhaps unfairly so. I had hoped after my plan came to fruition, he would take his rightful place on the throne. Once I finally had the chance to depose his lunatic of a brother, that is.”  
The screens changed to various travesties both Gaster and Frisk witnessed of the mad king. Frisk shook, their own death still fresh in their mind. Their voice wavered slightly, “What… kind of chance?”  
Gaster’s expression evened, “The seven human souls that are needed to break the barrier, but their power would also destroy Sans once and for all.”  
Frisk instinctually gripped their chest. They spoke quietly, “Isn’t that… a little much?”  
“Perhaps. I suppose the power of one soul can put me on equal terms with him if I am careful. But he is ruthless, even without his full power.”  
Frisk’s eyes widened, “He’s not even using his full power?!”  
Gaster shook his head and crossed his arms, “Far from it. There is a strange fact within a monster’s biology. We can give into our instincts wholeheartedly, and that grants us a new form with additional strength and magic. However, we lose who we are. We become a slave to our instincts if we stay in such a form for too long. Much to my surprise, Sans has not fallen into that form as of yet.”

Gaster gave a strange expression of realization. He leaned forward and gave a grunt of frustration, “Why am I telling you this? You are just a child! This conversation is a waste of time!”  
Focus returned to his gaze. He stood from his chair and raised an arm forward towards Frisk as he spoke in a serious tone, “What matters now is that I gain control of this combined soul and use your power for my plan.”  
Frisk took a step back in fear. Gaster summoned the cage of bones once again. This time, Frisk could only stand as they cowered. Gaster spoke bluntly, “Submit control of this soul.”  
Frisk cried, “I-I don’t know how!”  
The sounds of thunder rung closer than before. Lightning began to flash behind the screens. Gaster narrowed his eyes, “Then I will make you submit.”

A new bone appeared in front of Frisk. Before they could react, the bone ran them through the center of their chest and lifted them far off the ground. No blood poured from this new wound. Frisk screamed out in pain. The memory of their death replayed on the screens. From the center of Frisk’s form, energy started to build. Gaster squinted at the red speck, “What is that?”  
The speck of red energy exploded outward all at once. It encompassed nearly all of the area. Gaster was flung onto his back near one of the outlying desks. Meanwhile, Frisk somehow landed in the tree at another edge of the room, despite being far from it initially. The branches began to curl around Frisk, as though the limbs tried to protect them. They desperately clung to the trunk of the tree and sat on another, strong limb. They shook and cried as a familiar thought entered their mind.

The screens changed once more. Frisk appeared to be up in an identical tree. Their vision was clouded slightly by tears. Four kids stood at the base of the tree. Their calls ranged from heckles to invasive questions. “You’re always running to that stupid tree!” “You think you’ll get adopted by a tree or something?” “Come down and say you’re sorry!” “What, you think you’re some tree person? Maybe you’re an escaped plant monster!”  
The three other kids stopped at that last exclamation. They stared at their final compatriot with a strange look. The first child spoke in a quiet realization, “Maybe that’s why they’re so weird and quiet…”  
The four children descended into more heckles and laughter. Most of them blended together. In the memory, Frisk burrowed their face into the tree trunk. Frisk cried out, in both the memory and in their current form, “I’m not a plant monster! Just go away!”  
Another burst of energy exploded from Frisk’s form. Gaster was more prepared this time. He teleported forward in time to not be affected by the blast. However, the screens returned to static once more. Frisk wept quietly, barely heard over the static around them. All was still. The storm above seemed to calm down to a cloudy day. Even Gaster hesitated to move, on guard for another burst of energy. After a few long moments, he decided it was safe. He slowly approached the tree and spoke calmly, “It appears we are at an impasse.”

Frisk sniffled and turned their apprehensive gaze to Gaster. A desk and chair materialized in front of Gaster. He sat down and began to speak, “I can sense we each control exactly fifty percent of this combined soul and not a speck more. We do not have the luxury of time to fully fight for dominance, not with King Sans undoubtedly about to attack and devour us.”  
The branches around Frisk relaxed slightly. Frisk turned their entire body forward and wiped the last of their tears away, yet they still frowned deeply and said nothing. Gaster continued, “We have no choice but to work together. We must kill him and break the barrier together.”  
Frisk hugged themselves, “But… I don’t know how to fight.”

Gaster rolled his eye sockets with a sigh. He stood in silent contemplation for a moment. A smirk flashed across his skull for only a moment. He mused aloud to Frisk, “Would you learn how in order to protect Asriel and Chara?”  
Frisk’s eyes widened. They leaned forward in the tree, “Oh no… they’re with us…”  
Gaster gave a light smirk in delight, “And the longer we drag this out, the more they are in danger as well.”  
Frisk relaxed with a frown. They only hesitated for a moment before they spoke in a resigned tone, “…Okay… I’ll help you defeat Sans.”  
Gaster raised a ‘brow’, “And?”  
Frisk pouted, “And break the barrier with the other six souls.”  
The desk and chair disappeared as Gaster stood. He extended his hand towards Frisk, “Then, we have a deal?”  
Frisk jumped out of the tree and landed safely on their feet. Frisk approached Gaster cautiously, “What will happen to me... after we break the barrier?”  
“I can only assume your soul will disappear once all the energy inside of it is spent all at once. Beyond that, I do not know.”  
Frisk gave a sigh before they shook Gaster’s hand in agreement. The sun shone brightly on the two of them. Energy from their two forms seemed to flow into each other. New information passed between the two. All at once, the area around them faded away into darkness.

The two opened their eyes. Everything was the same in the Last Corridor. It was then Gaster and Frisk realized two things. They saw the hall through the same set of eyes, and they realized that despite the fact their conversation seemed longer, only a moment had passed in the Last Corridor since their souls had combined.


	21. Battling Beasts

It was a strange feeling for Frisk and Gaster to look through their eyes at the exact same time. Their vision came into focus quickly. Their other senses followed. Gaster immediately felt a few differences. It all felt natural to him, yet Frisk felt it was completely foreign. Gaster could tell he grew taller. His back had a slight hunch to it. His claws and teeth were both sharper and longer. He could feel his feet had destroyed his shoes. He was taller because his feet had changed to hind legs. Balanced and ready to move at a moment’s notice. Without even a glance at his eyes, he somehow knew one of them now permanently glowed red. Perhaps the strangest of all, he felt a thin tail of bone protrude from him. He had become slightly bestial.

Gaster had no time to examine himself to confirm the changes with his and Frisk’s eyes. He heard Sans growl deeply. It sounded bestial and echoed slightly. Gaster’s vision, while already forward, focused on Sans entirely. Sans clenched his teeth in rage for a moment. Frisk instinctually stepped back for a second in fear. They took the body with them in that step. Gaster stopped them from a further, more noticeable, retreat. He spoke to Frisk in their shared mind, ‘Be calm but be ready. He will attack us.’

Frisk paused. In that pause, Sans pounced. He teleported in front of Frisk and Gaster. With all of his strength, he attacked with a downward swing from his claws. Gaster dodged backward, ready for the attack. The claw crashed into the golden tiles where Frisk and Gaster once stood. The tiles cracked from the attack, the stone under the tiles now exposed. The claws seemed to have instantly grown twice in size.

Not far from Sans’s right side, Chara tumbled backward without a sound. Sans’s gaze locked onto Chara. Chara shook at his gaze. He flashed a wicked grin. Chara froze. They still had little magic to defend themselves and with him so close there was nowhere to run.

Frisk saw Sans’s attention was no longer on them, but Chara. Frisk gasped and raised an arm towards Chara, their voice combined with Gaster’s, “No!”  
Sans raised his claws again and attacked Chara. His claws met something. Something that wasn’t flesh or stone. Energy. A wall of red energy appeared in an instant between Chara and Sans. Sans raised a ‘brow’ at the wall of energy. He tried to claw through it multiple times. He growled lightly. Yet he saw the barrier only protected one side. He quickly teleported behind Chara to attack them there. Gaster quickly adjusted the barrier to encompass Chara fully. Sans only notice this after his attack landed on the barrier. He roared in frustration. Gaster helped Frisk maintain the barrier. Frisk seemed grateful, ‘Thank you.’  
Gaster mused, ‘I only used this new power in a more practical way. I will admit your magical instincts are decent for a human. Focus on maintaining magic, and I will work on the application of it.’  
Frisk gave a more even tone, ‘Okay. I’ll try.’

Frisk and Gaster continued to maintain the barrier, much to Sans’s chagrin. Gaster smirked and spoke aloud to Sans, “You will have to deal with us first.”  
Sans’s gaze immediately shifted to Frisk and Gaster. He frowned at them for a moment as he connected the dots. He chuckled darkly. His eyes went dark. His voice echoed slightly, “G L A D L Y.”

Everyone in the Last Corridor could hear bones crackle and snap. Sans began to change. He grew as tall as Gaster and Frisk. His claws and hands grew as he slammed down on all fours. A bone tail, thicker than Gaster’s, emerged from his backside. Spikes protruded from his back, skull, and the back of his neck. A strange black miasma slowly emitted from Sans’s form. It began to fill in the gaps in his bones and fill the immediate air around him.

Sans pounced. He attacked Gaster and Frisk swiftly. Gaster and Frisk were just as quick to dodge. The tiles beneath them were pulverized. However, slowly but surely, Gaster and Sans left the Last Corridor. Gaster teleported to one of the nearest tall buildings in New Home. He was about to summon a blaster but Frisk spoke up, ‘wait, what about the beam? Shouldn’t we use that instead of the blaster for now?’  
Gaster canceled his attack and mused, ‘I suppose...’  
A hand of bone, one that mirrored one of Gaster’s own hands, appeared next to them. From the empty palm, red energy quickly gathered and fired towards Sans. It hit him in the shoulder. It instantly got his attention. Sans teleported to Frisk and Gaster and tried to attack them. Frisk summoned a flat barrier and blocked the attack. Frisk sounded worried, ‘Okay, we led him away. How are we gonna beat him?’  
Gaster grimaced lightly, ‘It seems our power is only enough to defend. We will need to retrieve a few of the souls to defeat him.’

Gaster used his blue magic to throw Sans back. Sans used his own teleportation magic to land safely. Frisk panicked, ‘But we can’t leave him here to get them! He’ll go back and kill Asriel and Chara!’  
Gaster replied dryly, ‘I’m surprised you worry for someone that was eager to kill you.’  
Frisk’s tone became more somber, ‘I… I may be scared of them… but, they were scared too; scared of dying. And… they’re important to Asriel, so-‘

Frisk saw Sans come back for them. Frisk panicked slightly and summoned five hands. Beams flew out in near succession. Some only went through the miasma while Sans dodged the rest. Sans landed safely and summoned a blaster of his own. Frisk threw up the barrier before the blaster went off. Before they had the chance to release the barrier, Sans teleported behind them and slammed his tail into Frisk and Gaster. His tail grew much longer, and a large arrowhead shape grew on the end of it. Gaster quickly teleported on top of another building to gain his footing. He grunted, ‘He’s faster than I remember.’  
Frisk sounded nervous, ‘What about that soul-grabbing thing you did? That kind of worked. Oh! What does that smoke do?’  
‘Miasma, and do not worry about it. It only affects those with lungs.’

Gaster looked around to see if Sans was nearby. Sans quickly noticed the building that Gaster had fled to. He summoned two blasters and began to fire at Gaster. Gaster dodged with ease. He was surprised at his new speed. With it came a new idea. He sighed, ‘I have an idea. A brutish one, but it could work.’  
Frisk sounded confused, ‘Okay?...’  
‘Use the blasters and beams to distract him as much as you can. I will take care of the rest.’  
‘Okay.’

Frisk began to concentrate their magic to summon five hand-beams. They appeared close to Sans and began to fire. Sans ceased his own attack and turned his attention to the beams. He roared at them. He began to claw and blast them. Frisk continued to summon more to distract Sans. Gaster seemed amused at this, ‘He has begun to lose himself.’

Gaster saw his chance. He sped and teleported above Sans. He spun down and slammed his tail into Sans’s skull. Sans let out a small cry of pain as he was thrown off balance by the blow. Gaster used this imbalance and used his magic to grab hold of Sans’s soul. With all of his might, Gaster threw Sans into a nearby building. Sans landed deep within the wall and debris began to fall from the building. Gaster and Frisk heard a couple monsters scream in panic down below.

Before Frisk could say anything, Gaster had teleported to a new location. The new area looked familiar. The linoleum tiles and the pale walls were unmistakable; this was deep within Gaster’s lab. Frisk looked around in confusion and shook, ‘Where are we? What about the fight? What about those people that-‘  
Gaster approached a wall of the room as he interrupted Frisk, ‘Those monsters will be fine.’  
‘But-‘  
‘Enough. The longer we discuss this, the longer we linger.’

Frisk remained silent. Gaster found an imprint in the wall and pressed on it. A small section of the wall seemed to flip forwards to reveal hand scanner. He put his right hand on it. It gave a pleasant beep before a large section of the wall opened up. It revealed two shelves in the wall. Each shelf held three glass containers with grey lids. Within each container was a different colored soul. Frisk hesitated, ‘These are…’  
Gaster grabbed one of the containers, ‘The souls.’  
Gaster screwed the lid off quickly and threw the jar aside. It shattered across the linoleum floor with a large crash sound. Gaster paid no mind to the noise and put the new soul to his chest and absorbed it. He did the same with another soul. He mused, ‘Three should do.’

Gaster’s body began to tear his coat. A large number of spikes appeared on his arms, spine, and tail. His head became more bestial, his snout protruded outward much like a dog’s. His claws became massive, no longer instruments of finesse. Five hand clones appeared and floated around his head and shoulders. Both Frisk and Gaster seemed to be able to look through them with ease. Gaster seemed pleased with the changes, ‘This will do nicely.’  
Frisk sounded confused, ‘I don’t feel the presence of these souls...’  
Gaster’s tone evened out, ‘They have been asleep for a long time. But, it does not matter. They cannot interfere with our control. I can sense our wills are stronger. But, enough of this dawdling. We have a mad king to depose.’  
Gaster and Frisk teleported out of the room without another word.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took a full minute for Chara and Asriel to move even a muscle after Gaster, Frisk, and Sans left the Last Corridor. Adrenaline still pumped through Chara’s veins. They could not fully focus on the world around them until the minute subsided. Their adrenaline faded. They slowly took in their surroundings in the Last Corridor. Their eyes soon found Asriel. He stood on his knees, his eyes locked onto Frisk’s corpse. His mouth hung open slightly. His body shook noticeably. Chara was worried at first but couldn’t help but smile at Asriel’s focus on Frisk’s corpse. Perhaps they wouldn’t have to push him into this after all. Yet, that hope was expertly dashed. As soon as Asriel went to reach for Frisk’s corpse, he shook his head vigorously. He curled in on himself and cried out, “No! I-I won’t!”  
Asriel hugged himself and began to sob. Chara frowned and slowly stood. They’d have to convince him after all.

Their steps startled Asriel out of his weeps. He gasped and turned his head toward the sound. His fur stood on end and his tearful eyes were widened. That changed the moment he realized it was only Chara. He smiled through his tears, “Chara…”  
Chara sped to Asriel’s side and hugged him deeply. They quietly replied, “Rei…”  
Asriel sniffled. He began to ramble, “I… I was scared that… you and Frisk…”  
Chara gently shushed Asriel and pet his head, “It will be fine now, Rei. Soon, everything will be fixed.”  
Asriel sniffled, but spoke in a confused tone, “Fixed?... I… I don’t understand… Mr. Gaster already has Frisk’s soul…”  
Chara smiled at Asriel, “There is that. However, there is something more important to be done.”  
They cradled Asriel’s face gently as they spoke, “I need you to keep your promise.”  
“My promise?” At first, Asriel sounded confused, but his expression suddenly grew to shock, “Wait… you don’t mean-“  
Chara pulled away from Asriel, “Yes, Rei. You promised me you would live, no matter what happened.”  
Asriel grasped the lockets around his neck tightly. He cried out, “But… but that was when I thought you were going to die!”  
Chara raised a brow, but kept their tone even, “So a promise doesn’t matter if I do not die?”  
“No!”  
Asriel curled into a ball. He spoke quietly, “I just… don’t want to hurt you…”

Chara pet Asriel’s head once more and spoke gently, “Then let me help you. After all, there is a suitable meal right next to you.”  
Asriel let out a confused, “Huh?”  
He slowly turned his gaze to Frisk’s corpse once more. He lingered for a few seconds. His breath turned heavy. His stomach growled loudly. He tore his gaze away and covered his eyes. He cried out, “No! I can’t!”  
“Rei, you must.”  
“But… that’s Frisk!”

Chara kneeled down and put their hands on Asriel’s shoulders. Their tone was strict and even, “Rei, listen to me. That is no longer Frisk. All that Frisk was, was taken by Dr. Gaster. Look again; no soul lies within that corpse.”  
Asriel moved his head slightly in order to look once more but stopped himself. He closed his eyes and sobbed, “No! Even if it’s not Frisk anymore, it was still Frisk’s body! I won’t eat them!”  
Chara bit their lip and tried to think quickly. This situation was stonewalled. Asriel wasn’t listening to reason. They expected this, but not to this degree. They had to think of something else. Something with more emotion.

A new thought entered their mind. Slightly devious, but still something that was sadly true. More importantly, it was emotional. They frowned and spoke with a slight somber, “Rei… what if Sans comes back?”  
Asriel nearly jumped. His head shot up with shock. His voice wavered, “But… Mr. Gaster led him away...”  
“And what if he fails to kill Sans? He will come back for Frisk’s corpse _and_ find us.”  
Asriel stood, “Th-then, we have to run!”  
He turned towards Frisk’s corpse, “and… get...”

Asriel paused as his gaze focused on Frisk once more. He paused, and his breath became heavy once more. His stomach growled loudly enough for Chara to hear. Chara saw this and frowned. Their idea only partly worked, but no doubt Asriel would snap himself out of his trance soon. They sighed; the push had to be physical after all. They spoke under their breath, “I’m sorry, Rei. You will forgive me for this later.”  
Chara circled around to Asriel’s backside. They gave him a quick and forceful push towards Frisk’s corpse. Asriel was immediately thrown off balance and let out a, “Whoa!”

Asriel landed with his torso and face in Frisk’s pooled blood and his snout immediately next to Frisk’s left arm. Asriel groaned. Before he could open his eyes, the scent of blood overwhelmed him. He blinked open his eyes. He tried to shake off the blood, but his white fur was deeply stained red. Even his hands were stained red with blood. He looked at his hands in horror and found he slowly brought his hands to his mouth. He whined and tried to grab the closer hand. He stopped the closer hand, but he also lightly splashed a few dots of blood on his nose. Without a thought, he licked the blood off his nose. He paused. His eyes seemed to glaze over into a trance. His tears stopped, and he became silent. His instincts took hold. He began to lick his hands clean of blood. Once his fur was nearly free of blood, he began to tear into Frisk’s back without any hesitation and bring anything within into his maw.

Chara smiled gently, satisfied with the situation. They spoke quietly and gently, “Go on, Rei. Eat your fill. I will make sure no one disturbs you.”  
Chara carefully stepped a few paces away from Asriel and brandished their knife. They lowered their stance and constantly shifted their gaze around the Last Corridor. They were ready for any monster to come their way, and they would defend Asriel no matter the cost.


	22. Of Crushing and Convincing

Frisk and Gaster returned to the rooftops of New Home in an instant. Frisk clearly heard the monsters below. Some were confused on the sight of their king thrown into a wall. Others fled New Home with what little energy they could spare. Frisk used one of the disembodied hands and floated it over the rooftop to see the panic below. They nearly gasped. The main streets were packed with the fleeing monsters and those who stood confused yet captivated by the event.

Gaster’s inner voice commanded Frisk’s attention, ‘He’s recovered.’  
Frisk turned their attention away from the citizens. Their now numerous eyes all focused on one thing. The mad king.

From the center of a hole in the side of a building, Sans emerged from the rubble. He stood on all fours and seemed to slowly grow in size. His gaze turned to Gaster and Frisk. What was once an abyssal eye socket became another glowing eye. This one yellow, but it did not ignite akin to a flame. It simply glowed, even as its blue twin began to grow into a roaring inferno in comparison. Gaster kept his guard up. His tail curled inwards, ready to strike or allow movement.

Sans disappeared in an instant. Gaster teleported to another building the second he saw Sans disappear. In the spot where Gaster once stood, Sans’s maw chomped deep into the stonework. Sans grumbled and spit out the rocks off the side of the building. The rocks descended to the crowd below. Frisk did not have time to check if anyone had been injured. Before they could check, Sans had teleported to them and swung his claws at them. Frisk and Gaster both reacted and summoned a barrier. It easily defended against Sans’s claws. Gaster and Frisk didn’t even have to stand their ground much to keep the barrier up. Sans roared and teleported to the side to avoid the barrier. Gaster easily moved it before Sans could attack. Gaster smirked and used three of the disembodied hands to fire beams rapidly. Sans dodged the beams defensively, which drew him away from the barrier. Gaster lowered the barrier and smirked, ‘We are more powerful than him. We can defeat him!’  
Frisk felt a new sense of determination well from within their shared soul. At first, it overwhelmed Frisk. They struggled to keep control of their half of the soul for a moment. The determination then focused on the task at hand.

While Frisk was distracted, Gaster focused and began to control three disembodied hands. He continued to have them fire and slowly move them towards each other. The beams began to combine and spiral out slightly for a wider spiral beam. Sans was hit with these beams and let out a cry of pain. He teleported away into the distance slightly. He summoned two blasters to fire at Gaster. Gaster seemed to dodge the blaster beams easily. Sans roared and summoned many more blasters that quickly fired off towards Gaster. Gaster simply teleported behind Sans. He chuckled and gave a victorious smirk, “He’s on the defensive.”  
Sans noticed Gaster had teleported behind him. Sans quickly turned towards Gaster. Sans lowered his stance and clenched his jaw tight. A low growl constantly emanated from his form. His back arched heavily and he slowly backed away from Gaster. Gaster summoned a few blasters around Sans and fired them. Sans dodge them and fired his own, many more than Gaster. Gaster teleported to dodge. He slowly moved in towards Sans and began to laugh, “He’s desperate!”

Sans growled and he began to claw out towards Gaster occasionally. The miasma between his bones began to flare and flow with intensity. Frisk felt a chill. They were able to focus once more on the flight. They saw Sans’s body language. They saw this before; a wild animal cornered. They stopped their feet and forced Gaster to stand still for a moment. Frisk pleaded, ‘Don’t!’  
Gaster grunted as he struggled to move, ‘You idiot child, we have him cornered!’  
Frisk continued, ‘That’s exactly it! When wild animals are cornered, they-’  
Frisk noticed something head for them, ‘Look out!’  
Frisk flung Gaster and themselves out of the way. Sans’s tail crashed down into the stone below. The building shook. Various loose rocks plummeted below. Nearly a corner of the building they stood on was loose but stayed still. The full damage unseen by the combatants. Gaster growled, ‘You nearly had us killed!’  
Frisk was undeterred, ‘He would have done worse if you kept taunting him like that!’

Gaster was ready to retort when he noticed something about Sans. He seemed short of breath, and the miasma had begun to fade. Sans dug his claws deep into the stone below to support himself. He paused. He heard the screams of the monsters down below. Both Frisk and Gaster’s minds went to the same thought. Their eyes widened. Gaster gritted his teeth before he roared out, “I will not let you eat another monster ever again!”  
Gaster summoned beams from all five hands. They fired upon Sans, who swiftly dodged and jumped off the side of the building. Frisk gasped, “No!”  
Gaster and Frisk heard the screams of panic first. Second, they heard Sans crash into the stone road below. Gaster would not let this go further. Gaster teleported down to the streets of New Home. Gaster and Frisk saw Sans already had a cat monster pinned with his claws. The monster shook and began to beg for their life. Sans ignored their pleas. His neck arched up slightly before his jaw opened and practically flew down towards the pinned cat monster.

Gaster acted quickly and summoned a disembodied hand just above the cat monster. He fired a beam directly into Sans’s maw. The beam ran through Sans’s skull behind his maw. Sans roared out in pain he stood on his hind legs for a moment to reel back. In his reeling and trashes, the cat monster was set free. The monster immediately ran but gave a quick nod to Gaster as they passed him and Frisk by. All other monsters in the area scattered. Their screams of panic and confusion could be heard in the distance. Some foolhardy or curious monsters peaked from behind corners to watch the events unfold.

Gaster tried to fire beams at Sans as he reeled, but Sans’s thrashing about made it difficult to aim. Sans thrashed into the building he, Frisk, and Gaster once stood on. Bits of debris fell. Nothing more than small stones fell onto Sans. Gaster noticed most of the debris landed directly on Sans. He looked up and saw the corner that had been loosened by Sans’s attack. The gears clicked in his mind and a new idea arose. Gaster immediately spoke to Frisk, ‘I see a way we can end this.’  
Frisk perked up, ‘What?’  
Gaster began to explain, ‘Take the hand beams and blasters and let that loose piece of building fall.’  
Frisk seemed unsure, ‘Won’t he dodge it?’  
‘I will distract him, now go!’  
Frisk hesitated but did concede the body after a moment. Their vision now only came from the five disembodied hands. They floated then teleported away from the main body, which was now under Gaster’s full control. Frisk began to examine the loose corner for ways to make it fall. They found that there were still ways to support the structure from the top and bottom. Frisk focused beams and decided to work on the top first and work their way down.

Meanwhile, Sans had ended his thrashes. His attention turned to Gaster. He opened his maw wide. Energy welled within Sans’s maw and fired out towards Gaster, a much more powerful blaster. Gaster teleported to dodge and found where he stood was a large crater. Gaster teleported in between the building and Sans. Sans turned and attempted to cleave Gaster with his tail. Gaster jumped up and clawed at the side of Sans’s head to little effect. Sans turned his head quickly to clamp down on Gaster. Gaster barely dodged. He quickly teleported behind Sans. Before Gaster could strike Sans’s tail, he heard Frisk shout in their shared mind, ‘Move!’  
Gaster looked up to see the loose corner finally break free from the building. Gaster waited for a second as Sans turned around and loomed over him. The rubble of the corner began to split off and hit Sans’s back and head in large chunks. Gaster waited until the last second to teleport away to safety. The rest of the rubble came down at once, the majority of it on Sans. A large dust cloud covered Sans’s figure, obscuring him. Frisk returned their gaze to the main set of eyes as the disembodied hands returned to float around the main body. Frisk spoke in worry, ‘Did we get him!? Did it work?’

They saw slightly rustling within the debris. A low, pained groan emanated from the pile. Gaster saw through most of the smoke and saw Sans. Sans’s eyes glazed over and only glowed a little. He was in a daze. His neck and most of his back was exposed while the rest of him was piled in the debris. Gaster’s eyes widened. He saw his chance. Gaster jumped up and readied his tail. He focused his energy around it to create a thin barrier of energy. Gaster wasted no time and brought his tail down straight down on Sans’s neck. The neck bone was cut cleanly away from the body. Sans made no sound, but his eyes widened, and his maw opened. A quiet sound came from Sans. The glow in his eyes slowly faded as did the miasma in between his bones. Some of the rubble began to shift as Sans’s form began to shake and slowly disintegrate into dust. Sans’s body relaxed, as did Gaster and Frisk slightly. A low, husky chuckle emanated from Sans just before his head disappeared into dust. From the top of the pile of rubble, Sans’s soul emerged. It shook for a few seconds before it cracked and ultimately shattered and disintegrated. The mad king was no more.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chara was on guard. They began to hear screams, roars, and crashes from outside the Last Corridor. The screams were far, but the crashes changed position constantly. They held the worry in the back of their mind that the fight would come back to them.

New footsteps distracted them from the discourse of New Home. They echoed from the way Chara had entered the Last Corridor. Chara hid behind a pillar close to the entrance and readied their knife. Their eyes locked onto the entrance just before the monster had come into the room. The monster immediately noticed Asriel and gasped. It was familiar to them. The familiar voice spoke quietly, but enough for Chara to hear, “Asriel…”  
Asriel seemed undeterred. Chara relaxed and calmly walked out from behind the pillar. They spoke quietly, “It would be unwise to disturb him, Father.”  
Asgore turned his gaze to Chara and gave a relieved smile, “You are alright!”  
He waked up to Chara and kneeled down. Chara sheathed their knife. Asgore calmly pulled them into a hug. Chara reciprocated with a smile. Chara spoke with a slight somber, “I had to push him after all…”  
Asgore pulled away and frowned, “That is…. was Frisk, is it not?”  
Chara nodded and spoke calmly, “Do not worry, Dr. Gaster recovered their soul before Sans could.”  
Asgore stood tall and sighed, “They are fighting out there. The monsters in New Home are running for their lives.”  
Chara muttered dryly, “Better than becoming his food.”  
Asgore appeared downcast, “I… yes… that would be a worse fate...”

Chara raised a brow. They suspected something about Asgore. Chara spoke curiously, “Is something wrong? Do you not have faith in your boss’s plan?”  
Asgore hesitated, “…He is not my boss anymore. I quit.”  
Chara raised a brow, “Why?”  
Asgore paused and scratched his head, “I… I did not see this situation as safe. He could have teleported you three away when Sans chased you.”  
Chara mused, “He most likely calculated that Sans was too close for that to be viable.”  
Asgore nodded, “But… he promised to keep you two safe and-“  
Chara quietly shushed him. Chara spoke tactfully, “It does not matter now. While I wish things were better, I cannot dwell on them. All that matters is that Gaster has his souls, and Asriel has finally embraced his instincts.”  
Asgore did not respond. He hugged himself and looked away, his expression crestfallen. Chara saw this and sighed, “However… if I could change one thing… I would have hoped to save Mother.”

A tear escaped Asgore’s eyes. He covered his face and let out a deep, sorrowful, sigh. Asgore finally spoke, “After so long… I thought there was no way to save her.”  
Chara pointed their thumb towards Asriel, “It is the same way we had to save Asriel. It was part of my plan.”  
Asgore sniffled as a few more tears escaped his eyes, “Your plan? You… never told me your full plan, Chara…”  
Chara relaxed slightly, “My plan was simple. I would find the last human and kill them within the confines of the lab. While Gaster left with the soul for his business, I…”  
Chara frowned, “I would have locked Asriel in a room with the corpse.”  
Asgore matched Chara’s frown, “And you would not let him out until he ate.”  
Chara nodded before they continued, “Once Asriel returned to his sanity, my plan was to gather the rest of the corpse in a sack and deliver it to Mother. I concluded the scraps would be enough to snap her out of her insanity, if only for enough time for her to properly hunt on the surface. In addition… I knew Asriel would not be able to eat the entire corpse.”

Asgore wiped his tears away, “I am sorry you had to come up with such a plan, and that you felt the need to keep it secret from me all this time.”  
Chara crooked their neck slightly, “I simply thought it best for you to focus on your work with Dr. Gaster. Was I wrong?”  
Asgore shook his head, “No, you are right. Besides, it is as you said; we cannot change the past.”  
Chara gave a small smile, “But we can change our future.”

Chara paused to gather their thoughts. Yet, something was different. They no longer heard noises of chewing, slurping, and squishing. Chara turned towards Asriel quickly. Their hand instinctively went to their sheathed knife. Asriel was still on his knees. He had stopped eating. He held some half-eaten entrails within his grasp. His eyes were locked onto them. His mouth and eyes were wide with shock. Small squeaks echoed from him. Tears began to well in his eyes. He dropped the entrails onto the floor. A loud squish echoed throughout the Last Corridor. Asriel started to panic. He began to hyperventilate. He sobbed. His voice squeaked, barely heard, “No… I… I…”  
Chara and Asgore ran over to Asriel. Asriel heard their steps and turned his gaze towards them. Asriel squeaked out, “Chara… dad…”  
Chara reached Asriel first. They went to his right side and kneeled down, “Rei-“  
Asriel panicked. He cried out, “No!”

He shoved Chara away. Blood hand prints lightly stained their jacket, put there by Asriel’s push. Chara landed on their side, not prepared for Asriel’s reaction. Asgore quickly helped Chara up without a word. Asriel sobbed, “I… I … I ate them… I’m… I’m-“  
Chara quickly interrupted, “A monster.”  
Asriel looked over at Chara in shock. Chara only smiled before they continued, “And there is nothing wrong with that fact.”  
Asriel shook his head in disbelief, “But I ate a friend! I… I don’t want to eat them- I didn’t want to!”  
Chara remained calm and walked up to Asriel, “And as long as you keep your belly full, you won’t have to worry about that ever again.”  
Asriel paused, his expression calmed slightly. However, he sounded unsure, “So, I have to eat humans… to make sure I don’t hurt my friends?”  
“Rei, my mirror was dead, and their soul absorbed by Dr. Gaster before you even touched that body. You never hurt them.”

Asriel’s eyes widened in realization. They pondered for a moment before they looked up at Asgore with a pleading gaze, “I-is that true, dad? If their soul was gone… I never hurt Frisk?”  
Asgore blinked. He was surprised Asriel had calmed down so quickly. Asgore evened his expression and spoke calmly, “Yes… that would be correct. I did not see the event personally, but if what Chara says is true, then yes. You did not harm Frisk by… eating their former body.”

Chara snapped their fingers, “I think I, at last, have a way to explain it.”  
Asriel blinked and crooked his head, “Huh?”  
Chara calmly explained, “Remember the garden we made in Waterfall? The one we made because the monsters who lived next to the old snail farm had died?”  
Asriel nodded silently before Chara continued, “Say a vegetable in the garden is a soul. Once you pick the plant and put it in a basket, it is no longer in the garden, correct?”  
“Y-Yeah?”  
“Then we till and change the land to fulfill our needs. We change the land, but the vegetables are already gone. It is the same as a soul and a human body.”  
Asriel narrowed his eyes slightly. He scratched his chin with a confused look. He groaned slightly, “I… I think I get it? Golly, we… often changed which vegetables we planted to try out new things.”  
Chara snickered, “And you stumble across a metaphor for reincarnation.”  
Asriel puffed his cheeks and spoke childishly, “I still don’t understand that reincarnation thing at all.”  
Chara relaxed, “Perhaps another time. But for now, do you understand? Do you think you can keep your promise to me?”

Asriel remembered something and jumped slightly in shock, “Oh! Your locket!”  
He looked down and saw both lockets were covered in blood. He frowned, “They’re both covered in blood.”  
Chara cradled the lockets around Asriel’s neck in one hand. They smiled and found one that had one chain over the other. They calmly removed the locket and whipped the blood off both sides with their thumb. They saw the familiar ‘C’ on one of the lockets’ faces. They calmly put the locket back around their neck, “Nothing a quick wash and polish will not fix.”

Asgore was about to say something, but before he could, a loud crash sounded in the distance. Much louder than any of the crashes and screams that came before. Asgore, Chara, and Asriel looked around curiously before they found the noise came from New Home. Silence followed. No loud crashes. No loud sounds of magic. Nothing loud enough for them to hear across New Home. Chara raised a brow, “I believe the deed is done. The mad king has been slain.”  
Asgore sighed in relief, “His plan worked… I… I almost cannot believe all of our work has come to fruition.”  
Chara’s relaxed gaze turned serious, “Then we do not have much time. If I have a chance at survival, we must leave when the barrier breaks.”  
Asriel blinked, “We?”  
Chara nodded, “I told you I would take you to see the stars one day. And now I will be able to fulfill that promise.”  
Chara took Asriel’s hand and the three of them slowly began to walk towards the throne room, with the barrier not far beyond it.


	23. Goodbyes and Forever

Gaster paused for a full minute, unsure this was the truth. His eyes fixated on the rubble, ready for it to move at a moment’s notice and for the fight to continue. He couldn’t believe that his plan had fully come to fruition and that Sans was truly dead. Even despite the fact Gaster watched Sans’s soul shatter. It was still a strange thing to process. It was only with the questioning of another monster that he snapped back to reality. One of the surviving monsters approached and asked cautiously, “Is… is it over?”  
Gaster sharply turned towards the monster when he heard them speak. The monster flinched slightly. Gaster sighed and relaxed upon the sight of the monster. He spoke calmly, “Yes… I believe it is finally over.”  
The monster sighed in relief. A confident smile dawned on their face. They turned and called out, “Hey! The fighting’s over! You all can relax now!”  
Frisk instinctively covered where their ears would be. Gaster quickly put the arms down to not draw attention. The monsters of New Home began to file in around the debris slowly. Some appeared to be injured from being hit by some debris. Others merely tread nervously, with occasional glances to the top of the buildings around them. One of the monsters in the crowd perked up at the sight of Gaster and Frisk’s form, “You’re Dr. Gaster, right? What happened? That almost looked like King Sans…”  
Gaster nodded, “It was.”

The crowd murmured. The cat monster that Gaster had saved earlier stepped forward. Their ears flat against their head in sadness and their tail limp. They spoke, “I… I had heard rumors about a serial monster eater, but… to think it was King Sans...”  
Gaster began to project his voice to include the increasing crowd of monsters, “I am afraid it is true. King Sans had lost his way. He had been eating his subjects for a long time. I was unable to stop him until now; thanks to the power of the human souls I have been collecting overtime for the barrier.”  
The crowd hushed and gasped. Most of them waited in anticipation for Gaste to announce the barrier was shattered. Someone from the crowd spoke up, “Do you have seven souls? Do you have enough to break the barrier!?”  
Gaster replied simply, “Yes.”  
Relief and awe spread throughout the crowd. Some began to cry tears of joy. Gaster continued with conviction, “It may take some time, but I can assure you, the barrier shall be broken today!”

A cheer erupted from the crowd. Gaster waited until the cheers settled before he continued, “I ask you all; gather your loved ones and wait for me at the entrance to the castle. I also ask you all to consider or stand up as a new leader for monsterkind. With the death of our king and our beloved Prince Papyrus dead, we will need a new leader.”  
The crowd bloomed with questions. “Prince Papyrus is dead?” “I thought he was just missing.” “Well, he’s been missing for decades, so he’s gotta be dead!” “Who could possibly lead all of monsterkind?”  
A voice rang from the crowd in a shout, “I say Dr. Gaster should lead us!”  
Gaster gave a dumbfounded and surprised expression. He tensed up as Frisk began to stifle a laugh in their shared mind. Gaster sputtered slightly and tried to speak, “Well… I don- I can’t just- I’m not qualified to rule-“  
A monster interrupted him, “Don’t give us that crap! You’ve been working your tail off to help while most of us hid in New Home and survived with our sanity thanks to the substitute _you_ created! If anyone’s helped monsterkind in here, it’s you!”  
The crowd murmured in agreement with that monster’s statement. Gaster stood there in awe. Another wave of disbelief ran over him. The world around him slowed as he tried to process the reality and gravity of the situation. Frisk felt his doubt and spoke, ‘Hey... they trust you. I mean... they’ve trusted you before. How is this any different?’  
Gaster focused onto the shared mind, once more a conversation passed by within the span of a second. He spoke curtly, ‘It is vastly different to be a king. My job was to help find solutions; a king’s is to rule and apply those solutions. They would look to me for everything.’  
Frisk turned their attention to Gaster’s memories. The screens helped them find memories they needed. They spoke, ‘But you’ve done everything for a while now. You made the substitute so they could survive. You brought justice to those you couldn’t save. You found the solution to their problems.’  
‘Only one kind of problem. A king must find solutions to all kinds of problems, not just wellness. I cannot possibly do that alone.’  
Frisk questioned, “Who said you had to do it alone? You have all of them, right?’

Gaster’s eyes widened in realization before his expression fell to a thoughtful smile, ‘I... suppose I had been so focused on doing things myself that... I had forgotten. Perhaps you are right.’  
Gaster focused on the crowd once again. He saw all their eyes look to him. He stood tall. He shouted in confidence to address the crowd, “If that is the decision monsterkind has made, then I cannot– no! I will not refuse!”  
The crowd cheered. Gaster continued to project his voice for all to hear, “As your new king I give my first order! Gather your loved ones and be ready at the entrance to the castle! I will lead the way from there once the barrier is broken!”  
The crowd began to disperse in a hurry. Murmurs increased about the crowd as they all began to call to their loved ones and delegate to find the rest. Some gave a nod to Gaster and blurted out a quick, “Yes, King Gaster!” before they ran off. Gaster stood there with a smile on his skull, still in disbelief, “King Gaster, huh?...”

Frisk hesitated to speak to him within their mind, ‘Are you… going to be okay?’  
Gaster closed his eyes and focused on the conversation, ‘To be honest, I am not entirely sure. I will have to lead my people–and lead them into wartime as well.’  
Frisk’s tone dejected, ‘Right…’  
Gaster sighed, their tone lightened, ‘At least... now I know I am no longer alone in my efforts. And we still have a barrier to break.’  
Frisk gave their affirmation, ‘Right!’  
Without another word, Gaster teleported back to the lab. He used the disembodied hands to collect and hold the remaining souls. He then teleported into a room he didn’t think he would ever feel safe teleporting into ever again. The throne room.

The flooring in the throne room was the same as the Last Corridor; the golden tiles stretched throughout the room and met with the plain, stone walls. There were a couple windows that showed New Home, though not as extravagant as the ones in the Last Corridor. At each end of the room was a large entryway. One, in the back of the room, appeared to be simply carved, while the one in the front of the room was much more rectangular and ornate. A single throne stood in the center of the room, old and dusty. In the seat sat an equally dusty and rusting crown. The gems lost their luster, and some had gone missing. The crown appeared bent and broken in some spots. Under the throne was a set of pauldrons in an equal condition to the throne and crown. In a corner of the room sat another chair, but this one had been covered with a white sheet. A crown also sat in this chair, but it was much less ornate than the first. Yet, it was in a much better condition. It shined, as though it had been polished frequently. It also had all its gems.

Gaster focused on the crown in the corner of the room. He used his two free disembodied hands to gently grasp the crown and hold it in front of him. Gaster’s expression softened, “This was… Papyrus’s crown… I… I cannot believe it still looks like this.”  
Frisk spoke in a small confusion, ‘I guess… Sans took care of it?’  
Gaster put the crown back on the seat with nothing but a sigh. He stepped into the carved entryway and continued down a carved pathway. A white light shone at the end of the tunnel, one that seemed to fade in and out. Three figures stood nearby the light, ones familiar to Gaster and Frisk.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chara, Asriel, and Asgore noticed Gaster’s arrival. He appeared alone, but he was accompanied by three glowing lights around him. Asgore was the first to speak, “Everything is… done then?”  
Gaster nodded, “It is.”  
Asriel noticed Gaster’s double-voice, “Whoa! You sound kind of cool!”  
Frisk turned toward Asriel. Their eyes widened at the sight of the blood. They gasped before they spoke in near-horror, “Asriel… what happened to you?!”  
Chara narrowed their eyes at Gaster and stayed close to Asriel. They immediately became defensive. They questioned curtly, “Why would you care?”  
Frisk floated one of the eyes closer to Asriel and Chara. Chara immediately grasped their knife and unsheathed it. They instinctually tried to gather their magic, but still found they had none. The hands stopped short of Chara and Gaster’s body spoke, “No, no! It’s me, Frisk! We both have control over his body. But, seriously, why is Asriel covered in blood?!”  
Asriel slinked behind Chara. He hesitated to answer, “I… I don’t want to talk about it…”

Chara snickered at Gaster as they stowed their knife once more, “You could not win over a child?”  
Gaster walked past and approached the barrier, “And here I thought I was going to give you a chance to survive. But, you seem to desire death instead.”  
Chara glared at Gaster. Their right hand immediately went to their sheath once more. They spoke in a low, threatening tone, “What are you saying?”  
Gaster admitted calmly, “Frisk wanted you to live.”  
The disembodied hands immediately turned back to Gaster. Frisk blurted out immediately after in embarrassment, “Hey!”  
Chara raised a brow, but they did not relax their stance, “Even after I chased you to your death? Why?”  
Frisk sputtered for a moment before they gave a resigned sigh. The two free hands focused once more toward Chara and Asriel. Frisk spoke, “Chara… you’re mean… and scary and… you mean a lot to Asriel…”  
Chara smirked as they finally relaxed, “You want to spare me because of Rei?”  
Frisk continued, “I… I saw how you two were back at your house and while you were separated. I… I may not know what happened down here… but I think I know that you two need each other. Not just because you like being with each other, but to survive.”  
Asriel raised a brow, “Chara… needs me to survive?”  
Frisk spoke nervously, “I think… you’re the only reason Chara’s survived so long, Asriel.”

Chara’s eyes widened for a second before they narrowed their eyes at the disembodied hands, “You are more intelligent than you let on, mirror. Well done.”  
Asriel looked over at Chara curiously, “What do you mean?”  
Chara blushed lightly and looked nervous, “Well… Rei…”  
Chara sighed and crossed their arms, “I cannot believe I am about to say this…”  
They spoke bluntly, still with a blush across their face, “If... I didn’t come back home to you… or Mother… or Father… I probably would have gone insane– _more_ insane in my attempts to survive here.”  
Chara hugged themselves. Sorrow bled into Chara’s tone as their voice softened, “I… probably would be dead…”

Chara glared at the disembodied hands, “You continue to back me into corners. But this is the last, I assume.”  
Gaster regained vocal control, “Indeed it is.”  
The disembodied hands looked towards Gaster once more. Chara’s arms relaxed as raised a brow at Gaster, “You two need to signal when you switch or find a second mouth.”  
Gaster retorted curtly, “We do not have time for this incessant conversation! I have a barrier to shatter and all of monsterkind is waiting at the castle for their new king to signal their release!”  
Asgore blinked and stepped just past Asriel and Chara, “Did you say… new king?”  
Gaster sighed before he affirmed, “The people of New Home declared me monsterkind’s new king.”  
Asgore frowned, “If… I may be honest with you, sir… I do not think you can handle such pressure alone.”  
Gaster turned towards Asgore, “No. I cannot, but... I have thought it over... and I have the help of the people, in the end.”  
Asgore approached Gaster, “Well, I mean… I was going to suggest something else.”  
Gaster silently raised a ‘brow’ before Asgore continued, “I have thought about what I said and concerning these new developments… I believe I was wrong to quit as your assistant. I apologize for my actions. But, for now, it sounds as though you could use someone to help at the very least delegate some things. You may have all of monsterkind to aid you, but it would help to have someone beside you.”  
Gaster replied bluntly, “You do realize you are asking to assist me in leading a kingdom and a war.”  
Asgore nodded, “I know my dear Toriel would have been more appropriate in both regards, but… yes. I am.”  
Gaster silently mulled over the offer for a moment before he responded, “Very well. But know this will be difficult, even with the two of us.”  
Asgore nodded, “Of course, sir. But, it is as you said; we will have all of monsterkind to aid us.”

Gaster turned his attention to Chara and Asriel, “And with that out of the way, the last issue is you two.”  
The disembodied hands turned back to Asriel and Chara. Frisk chimed in, “Is no one going to tell me why Asriel is covered in blood?!”  
Chara noticed the hands turn and raised a brow, “I’m going to assume that was my mirror tal-“  
Asriel cried out in panic, “I ate your body!”  
Frisk couldn’t even respond before Asriel continued at a break-neck pace, “I didn’t want to, but I just did, I was so hungry and I couldn’t stop myself!”  
A few tears leaked out as Asriel slowed his words, “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”  
Frisk was quiet. They gave a horrified expression for a few seconds. It deflated to sympathy as Asriel sobbed. Chara quickly hugged Asriel and patted his back. They gave quiet assurances to Asriel. The disembodied hands looked downwards. Frisk curled in slightly and spoke quietly, “I… I don’t know how I feel about that… but… maybe it’s better you ate it instead of… well... Sans. I’m sorry I asked…”  
Asriel sniffled, “It’s okay. You... probably deserved to know...”

With Asriel calmed, Chara turned towards Frisk and Gaster, “To answer your concern, Gaster, I assumed our protection was over. The deal has been satisfied to some extent.”  
Gaster stood the body tall as he spoke, “While it is true we now owe nothing to each other, I am compelled annoyingly by Frisk’s part of the soul to be generous. I cannot take you back to the lab. I realize thanks to Frisk’s perspective on the situation that you would be trapped there for an unknown amount of time while I tend to my new duties and all of monsterkind files out of Mount Ebbot.”  
Chara crossed their arms and replied calmly, “What do you suggest, then?”  
Gaster smirked, “Ironically, your mirror’s plan. You run. I can hold off monsterkind for a short amount time. Perhaps only an hour at most, but I doubt that calculation more and more.”  
Chara nodded, “That should be enough time to leave the city at the base of the mountain and the surrounding area.”  
Asgore sighed, “I will find a way to contact you two once things have calmed down slightly. I am sorry I will not be able to come with you.”  
Asriel and Chara gave Asgore a hug. Asgore kneeled down and reciprocated the hug. Chara let go and spoke, “I still have my phone, you could use that.”  
Asgore stood and smiled, “What a wonderful idea!”

Gaster cleared his throat, “If we are finished, then-“  
The disembodied hands sharply turned towards Gaster. Frisk blurted out, “W-wait!”  
Gaster growled in annoyance. He glared at the disembodied hands. He stressed his irritation in his voice, “What. Now?”  
Frisk frowned and spoke in a chastised tone, “I just wanted to say goodbye to everyone… we don’t really know what’s gonna happen with my soul, after all…”  
Gaster grumbled, “Make it quick,”  
Frisk nodded. The disembodied hands turned towards Chara, Asriel, and Asgore. Frisk spoke with a small pang sadness, “Even though we haven’t known each other long… I… I just want to say goodbye and good luck.”  
The hands turned to Asriel, “Take care of Chara, okay?”  
Asriel gave a wide smile and a thumbs-up, “You got it!”  
Chara frowned and replied dryly, “That is my job, not the other way around.”  
The disembodied hands turned towards Chara, “Well… you may be powerful… but you’re still only human. So… be careful anyway?”  
Chara smirked, “Once I actually rest, my magic will return. I will not lose.”  
Frisk gave a slightly nervous laugh at Chara’s comment. The disembodied hands looked to Asriel subtly. Asriel gave a small giggle, which prompted a slight glare from Chara. Quickly after, the hands turned towards Asgore, “And…”  
Frisk motioned towards themselves and Gaster, “Make sure he doesn’t put everything on himself. But, I think you know how he is.”  
Gaster let out a subtle growl. Asgore smiled, “No matter happens to your soul, Frisk, I hope you end up safe.”  
Frisk nodded slightly. The hands returned to the form’s side. Frisk turned the body towards the barrier, “Okay… I’m done.”  
Gaster grumbled, ‘You are quite the human, aren’t you?’  
Frisk chuckled lightly in response.

Frisk and Gaster began to focus. Their eyes locked onto the barrier. Gaster brought the remaining souls to his chest and began to absorb them. As the souls were absorbed, Chara, Asriel, and Asgore felt the magic radiate off of Frisk and Gaster’s form. More disembodied hands appeared, which made seven in total. They floated above and around Gaster and Frisk’s form in an arch. The holes in the hands turned into the shape of the sleeping souls. The form did not change otherwise, as the magic began to focus around the form, rather than inside of it. Their eyes began to glow. Soon an aura of magic began to glow around their body as well. The aura seemed to flow into the holes of the hands and focus. All at once, magic burst forth in beams from the seven hands. They focused onto one point of the barrier. Only after a moment did cracks start to form through the mist-like white wall. Asgore gasped and quickly brought Asriel and Chara into a protective hug. More and more cracks formed until finally, with a loud crash, the barrier shattered as though it were fragile glass. The mist-like white faded and darkness nearly coated the tunnel. A soft light poured from beyond the barrier, much more white than yellow. Gaster and Frisk fell to their knees. The disembodied hands crumbled to dust as energy slowly, visibly, left Gaster’s form. Their body began to shrink and revert to its original form. Frisk spoke in a weary tone in the shared mind, ‘I feel… tired… is… this…’  
Their voice faded from Gaster’s mind along with the last trickles of energy that were not his. Gaster’s form returned to normal, aside from a few noticeable tears in his coat. His mind was silent. No words from Frisk, even his own thoughts were still. He was his own being again.

Asgore loosened Asriel and Chara from his hug. He stood and ran over to Gaster in a near panic, “Sir, are you alright?”  
Gaster groaned and held his skull for a moment, “Just… tired. I need a minute to gather myself again.”  
Asriel and Chara approached. Asriel frowned, “Frisk is… gone… aren’t they?”  
Gaster lowered his arms and turned his head towards Asriel, “Yes. They are gone.”  
Asriel looked down with a deep frown. Chara patted his shoulder lightly, “And we need to leave. Now.”  
Asgore nodded, “I wish you two luck.”  
Chara began to lightly drag Asriel by the hand towards the white light. Asriel protested at first but accepted after a moment. Asriel looked back and gave a slightly sorrowful, “Bye dad…”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chara quickened their pace, their only focus on the light ahead. They let go of Asriel’s hand. They saw he easily kept up with them. They smiled; his meal had already begun to help him. Soon, the tunnel broke to reveal the source of the light: the full moon on a cloudless and starry night. Asriel stared in awe at the starry night over the treetops. His mouth hung open slightly. Chara smiled, they instinctually grasped their necklace, “I fulfilled my promise to you at long last. Those are the real stars.”  
A few tears streamed from Asriel’s eyes. He spoke in awe, “They’re… more beautiful than all the sparkling rocks in Waterfall put together…”  
Chara took Asriel’s hand once more, “I wish we could look at them all night, but we must hurry.”  
Asriel’s expression dropped. They gave a disappointed, “Oh... Okay…”

Chara led Asriel down the mountain at a quick pace. The two jumped over logs and rocks and found animal-tread paths to follow down. The found their way down with little trouble. At the base of the mountain, the two came across a two-lane road just at the edge of the forest. Chara pointed to the right, “We must follow the road this way. If you hear something approach, say something.”  
The two began to walk along the road. Asriel raised a brow and questioned, “What am I suppose to hear?”  
Chara mused for a second before they answered, “Something... mechanical.”

Chara stopped walking. Asriel stopped and turned his head slightly, “What’s wrong?”  
Chara answered in a serious tone, “Give me your sweater for a little while.”  
Asriel reeled in disgust, “But- But my sweater’s covered in blood!”  
Chara slowly took off their coat, “Rei, please trust me. This will help us.”  
Asriel whined slightly, “Okay… I trust you…”  
Asriel turned and took off his sweater, this locket was slightly rustled, but not removed. Asriel turned back and gave Chara his sweater. Chara exchanged it with their jacket, “Here, you can wear this for now.”  
Asriel whined, “But that has dust on-“

Asriel gasped and perked up, “I- I think I hear that mechanical thing!”  
Chara’s eyes widened and they gasped. They had little time to prepare, but they thanked their quick fortune. Chara quickly put Asriel’s sweater on as they questioned, “Which direction is it coming from?”  
Asriel looked both ways for a few moments as Chara adjusted the sweater. Asriel pointed to the way they came from, “That way!”  
Chara smirked, “Okay. Hide in the bushes and wait for me to call, you, understand?”  
Asriel hesitated, confused, “What are you going to do?”  
Chara walked into the road and began to lie down, “I am getting us transportation. Now, please Rei, hide.”  
Asriel finally hid in the forest brush. Chara laid in the middle of the road for a few seconds before they began to hear the same noise as Asriel. They knew it very well: a car. The sound of the car grew louder and louder over the course of a minute until Chara heard a large screech sound as the tires of the car came to a complete stop. They felt the heat of the car on their back and heard the engine next to their ear. They smirked, unbeknownst to the car’s driver and Asriel. Their plan worked so far.

The driver’s side door flew open and a man called to Chara, “Oh my god! Kid, are you okay!”  
The man rushed to Chara’s side and they began to take in Chara’s form, “Shit, you’re bleeding!”  
They knelt down close and reached for Chara, “I gotta get-“  
Chara swiftly grabbed their knife and put it to the man’s neck. The man gasped but did not move other than a slight shake of fear. Chara slowly stood, all the while they kept the blade at the man’s neck. They shot a cruel glare and spoke in a menacing tone to the man, “Move, and you die.”  
The man began to beg, “Please! Take my money- Take my whole wallet-”  
Chara smirked down at the man, “I am taking your car. Follow us and I will find you and kill you.”  
The man whimpered, “O-okay… I won’t, I promise!”

Chara smirked impishly. They did not take their eyes of the man as they called out, “Get in, Rei!”  
Asriel jumped out from the bushes and spoke in worry, “Chara, what did you do to him?”  
Chara moved to respond, but the man saw Asriel and screamed, “A MONSTER!?”

Despite the fear of Chara’s blade, the man immediately got up and ran. He ran down the road he was already headed had Chara not stopped his car. He screamed bloody murder all the while. Chara blinked at the man’s actions, “I should have just put you on the side of the road…”  
Chara sheathed their blade. They looked at the still running car, “At least we still have the car. Quickly, inside!”

Asriel quickly went to the passenger side door and sat in the passenger seat. Meanwhile, Chara sat in the driver’s seat. They looked down between Asriel and themselves and gave a relieved sigh, “Thank goodness; it’s not stick.”  
Asriel raised a brow at Chara’s words. All he saw was a device that appeared to be a lever in a rut. Asriel spoke in a confused tone, “Isn’t that.... a lever?”  
Chara blinked as they closed the door. They snickered at Asriel’s joke, “Good one.”  
Their face turned serious, “You see that black thing? Pull it over your chest and put the metal part in the red clasp on the other side of your seat.”  
Chara pointed to the seat belt buckle. Asriel nodded and complied with some struggle. Chara put their seat belt on with ease. Chara put the car into drive and floored the gas pedal, which they could thankfully just reach. The car skirted for a second before it zoomed off in the direction of the man. The car quickly flew past the man and away from the forest that surrounded Mount Ebbot.

Asriel took off Chara’s coat. He struggled to get it out of the seat belt for a moment, but he eventually got it untangled. He held it towards Chara, “Here.”  
Chara did not look at Asriel, “Toss it in the back. I will give your sweater back to you when we are safe.”  
Asriel silently threw the coat onto the back seat and looked forward. He spoke with slight awe, “This thing… a car? It looks complicated…”  
Chara smiled, “I watched my birth parents drive one. I should be okay.”  
“I hope you’re right…”

Asriel paused. The silence was awkward. He changed the topic quickly, “Um… so… where are we going, exactly?”  
Chara responded bluntly, “Anywhere. Most likely somewhere away from Mount Ebbot, and away from humans. Father should call us once things calm down.”  
Asriel’s tone dropped slightly, “It almost sounds like we’ll be in this thing for a long time.”  
“That could be the case, but as long as we can get gasoline, we can keep this car running. That man said he had a wallet. Try to see if you can find it. It should have cards and green paper-like things in it. It is all currency.”

Asriel nodded and began to search his surroundings in the car. He opened a few compartments before he found a simple brown wallet. He raised a brow and held it towards Chara, “Is this it?”  
Chara took a quick look at the wallet. They nodded before they turned their attention back to the road, “That is it. Hold onto that. We will need it.”  
Asriel put the wallet in his lap, “Okay…”

Silence pervaded for another few moments before Asriel spoke again, “Um… Chara?”  
Chara answered simply, “Yes?”  
Asriel spoke worriedly, “Do you think Frisk is alright?”  
Chara paused. They did not know how to respond to this. They racked their brain for a few moments before they responded, “I think… Frisk will be alright. They know how to outrun monsters and humans alike. No matter what happens, they will survive.”  
Asriel smiled, “Yeah… they’re pretty smart, too.”  
Asriel frowned, “They said… you needed me to survive...”  
Chara began to blush as Asriel continued, “And then all that stuff you said about your sanity… I just… golly, there’s so much to think about…”  
Chara replied gently, “That does not matter.”  
“Huh?”  
Chara smiled, “As long as we stay together, nothing will matter but each other.”  
Asriel frowned, “But…. We can go see, dad, right?”  
Chara laughed raucously, “Of course we can see Father!”  
Asriel beamed, “And maybe I can introduce you to a monster that Frisk and I met!”  
Chara gave a nervous laugh, “We shall see… but, as long as we stick together, we can do anything.”  
Asriel’s became starry-eyed, “Really?!”  
Chara nodded. They reached for their necklace and held it with one hand, “I promise.”  
Asriel nodded and held their necklace as well, “Best friends… together forever.”  
Chara gave a wide, genuine smile. Tears began to peak out one of their eyes. They held the locket tightly in their grasp. Their voice cracked slightly in joy, “Together… forever. You and I.”  
Chara focused on the road as they drove, now confident that they and Asriel would truly be together. Forever.


End file.
